Steve Cohen coy about star 1B Pete Alonso's future with New York Mets : "If there's a deal to be made it will be made at the right time"

When Steve Cohen, a New York-based billionaire financier, acquired majority ownership of the New York Mets in 2020, it marked the dawn of a new era for the team.

Cohen is the founder of a hedge fund called Point72 Asset management. The fund itself has almost $30 billion in assets under management, and Cohen himself is thought to have a personal net worth somewhere in the realm of $10 billion.

As soon as the Mets came under the direction of the cash-strapped Cohen, big signings soon followed. Shortstop Francisco Lindor was handed a 10-year, $341 million contract extension. Under Cohen, the New York Mets also signed pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to successive contracts of record-setting value.

One player that the New York Mets have been reluctant to splash the cash on has been first baseman Pete Alonso. Alonso, 28, won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2019 after hitting a league-best 53 home runs. In 2022, he led the MLB in RBIs with 131 of them.

"Pete Alonso adds another run for Team USA!" - Talkin' Baseball

Despite the offensive production from Alonso, the New York Mets have been hesitant to re-sign him to a long-term deal. Alonso will make $14.5 million after signing at the arbitration deadline for the second consecutive season.

In a recent Twitter post, Mets analyst Michael Mayer shared a quote from Cohen that discussed Alonso's future with the Mets.

"Steve Cohen on potential Alonso extension: 'If there's a deal to be made it will be made at the right time...It comes down to, at the right time, we will probably sit down and have those conversations.'" - Michael Mayer

Although they still possess the highest payroll in the MLB, even the Mets have limits to their cash reserves. Edwin Diaz, their star closer, suffered a season-ending leg tear during the recent World Baseball Classic, and a replacement will likely cost them dearly.

Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer alone are set to eat up nearly $100 million this season between the two of them. Although Pete Alonso represents a strong offensive facet of the New York Mets' lineup, the Mets will need to retain him for a reasonable price.

The New York Mets face stiff competition in their division this season

While the Mets have spent astronomical amounts of money to ensure they can contend, their division is only getting more difficult. Both the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves showed us last season that they are not to be discounted. Whatever ends up happening with Alonso, the Mets management will do it with their team's best interests in mind.