A week ago, David Stearns and Steve Cohen sat down with Pete Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, at a tony social club in Tampa. It was an “impressive” venue according to the Mets president of baseball operations,

Pete Alonso has signed a $54 million deal with the New York Mets for two years. Steve Cohen praised David Stearns for his role in securing the deal. Fans are divided over the contract's value. Alonso's initial rejection of a $70 million offer and criticism of his agent,

For much of the offseason, Alonso’s return was no guarantee. At points, Stearns said, he thought “there was a very real possibility that he was going to end up elsewhere.” Cohen described the talks as “exhausting” in late January, adding “I don’t like what’s been presented to us.”