Pete Alonso and his arrogant remarks to David Stearns

As you know, during the 2024–2025 offseason, Pete Alonso became a free agent for the first time.

He was subject to a qualifying offer and was coming off a somewhat difficult season. This limited his market, which was likely frustrating for him.

As we know, he eventually returned to New York. He went on to have a great season, exercised his opt-out clause, and ultimately signed with the Baltimore Orioles for the 2026 season.

Stearns, who didn't want to sign him to a long-term deal, thus saw him leave.

It must be said that the first time around, even though Alonso ended up staying, the difficult negotiations with Scott Boras left their mark. And we've just learned one of the reasons that made the negotiations so difficult.

Basically, in the winter of 2024–2025, the Polar Bear took advantage of a visit by David Stearns and Steve Cohen to Florida, where he spends the winter, to tell the Mets president exactly what he thought.

“When they evaluate my case for Cooperstown in a few years, you'll still be fiddling with your damn formulas.” – Pete Alonso

When Pete Alonso made the bold proclamation (see below) that probably helped keep him in Queens another year, he was fresh off his worst statistical season.

Read more from Jon Heyman: https://t.co/LGLWOctFHL pic.twitter.com/61Y3yhXiMq

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 8, 2026

Jon Heyman, who is close to Scott Boras, took the trouble to point out in his article that the Polar Bear didn't use the word “damn” when speaking to Stearns. We'll let you guess what he said.

We can all agree that's arrogant. Even if he might not be wrong…

Building a team isn't just about the numbers on paper. Keeping a guy who's slowing down but still makes an impact in the majors and knows how to handle the pressure of the Big Apple—that's worth something, right?

Especially for a club that wants to cash in on Juan Soto's prime… and has the money to do so.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.