Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal to return to the Mets on February 12, after three months of negotiations. Midway through the chase, owner Steve Cohen said negotiations with the free agent first baseman were "exhausting," a sentiment the player did not share.

Alonso, 30, has spent his entire professional career with the Mets organization and ranks third for the franchise with 226 home runs.

The Mets are the only team Pete Alonso has played for since breaking into the majors in 2019. Alonso says that as much as he wanted to return to New York, hearing from management they wanted him back helped seal the deal.