Price for the NY Mets to extend young slugger just went up after latest Mariners news

One of the newest trends in baseball is to sign players in pre-arbitration to long-term contracts with reasonable average annual values. It started in 2019 when the Atlanta Braves locked up young superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. to an eight-year $100 million contract. Since then, many teams have locked up their young talent to similar deals. Because of this, many New York Mets fans have hoped the Mets would do something similar with guys like Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez.

However, that task seemed to have gotten a lot harder thanks to a move by a team on the other side of the country. On Tuesday, the Seattle Mariners locked up Cal Raleigh to a six-year $105 million contract. This move will pay Raleigh $17.5 million per season. This contract will have big implications for a potential Alvarez extension.

How this contract affects a potential Francisco Alvarez deal

Fans have been calling for the Mets to give Alvarez an extension since the end of the 2023 season. According to MLB Pipeline, Alvarez was the top prospect in the Mets system in 2023 and the third overall prospect in baseball. In his rookie season, he flashed a ton of power potential, blasting 25 home runs and posting a .437 slugging percentage.

He began to take steps in the right direction in 2024. Although his power numbers took a step back, he improved in every other statistical category. He slashed .237/.307/.403 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, a 102 OPS+, and a wRC+ of 102. Before he broke his hamlet bone, many expected him to repeat what he did in 2024, with better power numbers. This would make him one of the better-hitting catchers in baseball.

The thought was to sign Alvarez to a long term extension this offseason before he had his breakout year. That way he can lock him in for the foreseeable future at an annual value cheaper than what he could be getting. It's the strategy the Braves had made famous, giving this type of deal to players like Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies.

However, the Raleigh extension changes the entire discussion surrounding a potential Alvarez contract. Both Alvarez and Raleigh's most valuable trait is their power. Raleigh has hit 30+ home runs in each of the last two seasons and has had a slugging percentage above .425 in three of his four MLB seasons. Most Mets fans would be happy if Alvarez became a similar player to Raleigh.

Because they are similar players at the same position, Raleigh's contract will be used as a baseline when discussing Alvarez's. It's like how many used Matt Olson's contract as the baseline for a Pete Alonso extension during the 2023-24 offseason. When the two sides come to the negotiation table, the numbers they use will be based on this contract.

Although it seems insignificant to the Mets now, when it comes time to discuss a new contract for Alvarez, it'll be all anyone talks about.