Completed deal: New York Met finally won the race by signing Pete Alonso as he…

New reports offer up two interesting updates to the New York Mets’ pursuit of a new Pete Alonso contract. That being one of his suitors may soon be officially out, but a new dark horse contender may have emerged.

This has been a productive last few months for the Mets as they look to improve a roster that surprisingly reached the NLCS in October. However, one specific storyline has put a dampener on the offseason for some New York fans. And that is the unsure future of homegrown All-Star Pete Alonso.

In the early days of free agency, it seemed like the four-time All-Star would be playing elsewhere in 2025. However, his market has been far weaker than expected. Opening the door wide to a reunion with the only team he has ever played for. And at a rate that the organization would prefer.

Unfortunately, despite being open to a short-term deal, the two sides again hit an impasse this month. It created speculation that the Mets had given up and would move on to replace him before spring training begins in a few weeks. Yet, that hasn’t happened, and his rumored suitors have not jumped at the opportunity to scoop him up with New York out of the chase.

With a return still possible a pair of reports gave a major update on the remaining threats to Pete Alonso’s return to the New York Mets.

The Toronto Blue Jays and their big wallets are viewed as one of the biggest contenders for the 30-year-old’s services. However, the club spent big to bring in All-Star slugger Anthony Santander last week. The move gave some reason to believe they were out on the Alonso chase. Well, on Wednesday MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand reported that the team “appears to be the most serious about signing” future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner won’t command anywhere near the massive $43 million a year deal he got from the Mets a few years back. But he is sure to get a solid chunk of money. That will further cut into Toronto’s payroll plans for 2025. Pushing them further away from giving Alonso the type of money he is looking for.

Pete Alonso contract (Projection): Three years, $85 million

While Toronto could be out of the running, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman seems to think there is an unexpected team that could emerge in the Alonso chase. For the second time in the last week, he suggested the Cincinnati Reds could be a dark horse contender. He admits he has not heard anything from sources about a pursuit. But he continues to push the idea that he would be a very good fit for the Reds.

On Wednesday, the New York Mets re-signed reliever Ryne Stanek. The move is interesting because the $4 to $5 million he is expected to get keeps the team in a range where signing Alonso is still possible. As opposed to if they had signed an expensive reliever, that might put an official end to talks to bring him back.