Pete Alonso Announces Plan for Retirement as $24 Million Mets Decision Nears

Pete Alonso Announces Plan for Retirement as $24 Million Mets Decision Nears originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

New York Mets star Pete Alonso has been everything a team could ask from a No. 64 draft pick, which is where they selected him in 2016. The 30-year-old is already one of the best Mets players ever, and he has plenty left in the tank.

Alonso hit his 250th career home run on Saturday, putting him two behind Darryl Strawberry for the most in franchise history. The 6-foot-3-inch, 245-pounder has hit at least 34 homers every year since his rookie season in 2019, except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. This season, he has 24 homers through 112 games and is fourth in baseball with 86 RBIs.

However, Alonso isn't guaranteed to stay in New York after this year. The Florida native has a $24 million player option for 2026, and he has indicated he'll opt out in pursuit of a long-term deal, via MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

"As he approaches Strawberry’s record, Polar Bear Pete is concurrently nearing another career inflection point," DiComo wrote. "From the day he reported to Spring Training in February, Alonso began referencing his newly signed two-year, $54 million deal as 'kind of like a bridge thing just to get to the next contract.' He all but said he planned to break Strawberry’s record, then opt out."

DiComo also mentioned Alonso is "already thinking about life beyond baseball" as his free agency nears. Alonso announced his current retirement plans in this interview, revealing he plans to play through his age-40 season before calling it a career.

"And then at 41, I’ll be done," Alonso revealed.

This suggests that the slugger will seek a 10-year deal in free agency this offseason to set him up for the rest of his career.

Pete Alonso is the Mets' "big goober," their resident historian, rock and roll aficionado and soon-to-be franchise home run king.

But "what I want to be remembered as," Alonso said, "is a player of substance."

A look on the many sides of the Polar Bear:https://t.co/elpgMdrJwK

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 4, 2025

Pete Alonso Comments on Mets Legacy

If Alonso opts out this winter, it will be on the Mets' front office to give him the contract he wants. If it doesn't, the five-time All-Star will have plenty of suitors.

Regardless of what happens, Alonso has cemented himself as a club legend. However, if he finishes his career in Queens, he could become the unquestioned greatest player in franchise history.

Alonso opened up about what he wants his legacy to be, via DiComo.

“What I want to be remembered as is a player of substance,” the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year said. “I just want to be remembered as a guy who plays the game hard, the guy who’s, like, the ultimate competitor. … I want to be known as a guy that performs and plays the game and wins. That’s really it.”

The Mets won the Juan Soto sweepstakes last offseason, and they might have to compete for Alonso's services this offseason. It's not easy to sign a star to a long-term deal in two consecutive years, but that's the price of having an uber-talented roster.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.