“Stop disrespecting Pete Alonso” - Former Mets veteran sends warning to team for hesitating on 1B amid free agency buzz

First baseman Pete Alonso's free agency received the biggest endorsement on Friday by former New York Mets star Cameron Maybin. After a great 2025 season, Alonso has opted out of his contract with the Mets and is once again searching for teams to sign a big contract.

The Mets are contemplating whether to sign 'Polar Bear' back despite his incredible 2025 numbers. It was a similar situation last year, where the first baseman struck a compromise.

Seeing the continuous doubts on Alonso, Maybin came forward to shed light on the impact and value of the first baseman. He tweeted:

"Im convinced some of these analysts don’t even watch baseball. How do you keep undervaluing Pete Alonso like his production is easy to find? Be serious. The man has given the Mets .253 with 264 bombs and 712 RBIs in just 1,008 games… and folks still talk like you can just replace that in aisle 3 at Costco.

"Mark my words… the minute he’s gone, everybody’s gonna realize real quick what the Polar Bear actually meant to that lineup. Stop disrespecting the Polar Bear. He’s HIM and the numbers back every bit of it."

Alonso had a bounce-back season in 2025, slashing .272/.347/.524, hit 38 home runs, and drove in 126 runs while playing all 162 games. Unlike last offseason, he’s not subject to a qualifying offer this year.

Mets would "love" to re-sign Pete Alonso but obstacles remain

One would argue that the reason the Mets didn't sign Pete Alonso to a long-term deal last year was that he had a relatively bad season. However, this year, things are quite different, yet there is a hesitation from the Mets to give Alonso a long-term contract.

The Mets have previously said they would "love" to bring back Alonso.

"He's clearly a really good offensive player," Stearns said in Las Vegas. "And I think for any team the ability to get his bat in the lineup in multiple ways is helpful. And it's great to know that Pete is open to stuff like that."

If not the Mets, there are also several other options for Alonso. The Boston Red Sox have emerged as a landing spot for him if they don't retain their own stars in free agency. The Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals are among other teams as well.