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Pete Alonso's free agency has lasted significantly longer than anyone expected.
When the offseason began, Alonso was considered a shoo-in to re-sign with the New York Mets, the only team he's ever known.
Even after the team shelled out $765 million to Juan Soto, it was clear Alonso wanted to return to New York, and it appeared the two sides would find common ground.
However, as days have turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Alonso remains unsigned.
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A few weeks ago, the Mets appeared to pivot away from Alonso when they signed outfielder Jesse Winker and left-handed reliever A.J. Minter.
Then, the Toronto Blue Jays became the apparent favorite for Alonso, but they signed outfielder Anthony Santander and are in the midst of trying to figure out how to extend superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The more days that passed, the more people believed the Mets were still in on Alonso. However, this past weekend, Mets owner Steve Cohen got brutally honest about the ongoing contract negotiations between him and Alonso's agent, Scott Boras.
"We made a significant offer to Pete," Cohen said during the 'New York Mets' Amazin' Day'. "He's entitled to explore his market. That's what he is doing. Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. I mean, Soto was tough — this is worse."
He then made it clear that he did not like what was being presented to him from Alonso's camp.
"I don't like the structures that are being presented back to us. It's highly asymmetric against us. And I feel strongly about it," Cohen said. "I will never say no. There's always the possibility. But the reality is we're moving forward. And as we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have.
"That's where we are. And I am being brutally honest."
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So, with that being said, Gabe Smallson of On SI appears to see a new best fit for Alonso — and it's an American League West team looking to finally make some noise.
Smallson sees the Los Angeles Angels as the best fit for Alonso, as they can add some much-needed power to a lineup that only hit 165 home runs last season, tied for eighth-lowest in MLB.
Alonso also played in a full 162 games last season and hasn't missed more than 10 games in a season in his career. That's a stark contrast to the Angels stars in Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.
At this point, Alonso is likely looking for any team to step up and offer him a contract he feels fair. The Angels could be just that team as they look to make a push in a wide-open AL West.
For more MLB news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
About the writer
Noah Camras is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. His focus is on sports content. Noah has been with Newsweek since March ... Read more