Pete Alonso made his thoughts on the ongoing extension talks between the Mets and Francisco Lindor very clear.
"I hope they pay him $400 million," Alonso said after batting practice on Tuesday.
Talks between the two sides have seemingly stalled just a bit after Lindor countered the Mets' "best and final" offer of 10 years, $325 million with 12 years, $385 million, but things could still be brewing ahead of Opening Day on Thursday.
"Not only is he a superstar on the field, but he pays attention, he works hard, he cares about his teammates and not only doe he have the quantifiable numbers of a superstar, he has the X-factor," Alonso said on Lindor. "What he brings to a clubhouse is tremendous and can't be measured, along with his superstar talent. ... He's worth every penny of what he decides ... so yeah, pay him $400 million."
Contract extension talks have loomed over this offseason since the moment Lindor landed in Queens by trade back in January, but Alonso said that it isn't ever really discussed between the players.
"Honestly, we haven't talked about it at all in the clubhouse," he said. "Our job is to go on the field and focus on what we have to do.
"For me, it'd be awesome to have him long term, but at the end of the day, that's his decision and I want whatever is best for Francisco. .. .As long as he's happy and wants to be where he wants to be, that's the most important thing. I want the absolute best for that guy no matter what."
Even if the Mets and Lindor don't come to an agreement before Opening Day, that doesn't mean he won't re-sign with the team in the winter. It would also finally put all the focus on what the Mets can do on the field -- in what's expected to be a very competitive season in Queens.
The group the Mets have put together for the 2021 season has some experts picking them to win the NL East and seriously contend for a World Series title, something that Alonso is excited about himself, as well.
"I'm excited and I just want to be able to go out there and compete and get that first win under our belt," Alonso said. "I'm ready to test out how I feel over 162 games.
"I'm really happy that we're playing 162 this year and I think the sky's the limit, not just for myself, but for this entire team. This is going to be something really special that I'm so blessed to be a part of."