Pete Alonso opting out of his NY Mets contract is just one example of a growing trend

The stadium hadn’t even cleared out on Sunday when it was known that Pete Alonso would be looking for a new contract. How could he possibly opt into his $24 million for 2026 when it would be a decrease in pay, he had a better season, and the price of eggs isn’t getting any better? His frank response about what lied ahead for his immediate New York Mets future was quick, but hardly anything to get upset about.

Wouldn’t we rather know right now than not? In fact, if he gave any other response, it would feel disingenuous. Edwin Diaz, on the other hand, is a little less sure about things because his future is much more unclear. Could he actually get a better deal elsewhere?

If you’re looking for something to get upset about with the Mets, it’s not Alonso’s free agent declaration. It was inevitable. It’s also not all that different from what Juan Soto did after the New York Yankees were eliminated from the World Series last year or even how fellow Scott Boras client Alex Bregman behaved Thursday night after the Boston Red Sox were eliminated. All three didn't bother lying. Publicly, they declared themselves open for the next opportunity.

Pete Alonso telling Mets fans he was opting out quickly is a reminder that baseball is a business

Game 5 of the 2024 World Series was played on October 30. As quickly as Alonso said he was turning down $24 million for more, Soto began to talk about his future and all of the money he had coming his way. He, like Alonso, took the honest route when asked about his future with the Yankees:

“I’m really happy with the city, with the team, how these guys do. But at the end of the day, we’re going to look at every situation, every offer that we get, and then take a decision from that.”

Bregman was as candid as Alonso, but not as connected to Boston. Having played just one year in Beantown versus the seven seasons Alonso has spent in Queens, he didn't have to skirt around the truth quite as much. Free agency is calling once again. His opt-out was to protect against a bad year just as Alonso's was for 2026.

Yeah, the Mets lost in heartbreaking style in the regular season after teetering for months while the Yankees at least made it to the World Series last year and the Red Sox went to the postseason as well. Still, the dust hadn’t settled for either player. We knew Soto wasn’t going to accept a qualifying offer or let the Yankees sign him without hearing what other teams were willing to pay. Bregman has always expressed his desire for a long-term deal.

The business side of baseball is an ever-growing popular aspect of it with salaries known to the public and us armchair GMs enjoying the idea of assembling a team in our minds, on paper, and occasionally even on a blog. It’s easy to forget sometimes that this isn’t Strat-O-Matic.

Former big league catcher Erik Kratz wasn't a fan of Bregman revealing his cards too soon. The reality is, like it has been for decades, this sport is a business with money being the leader of who goes where, when, and why.