PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — 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, and while the two parties didn’t exactly close the deal there, they came close enough.

Soon after, Alonso, a homegrown four-time All-Star on pace to set the franchise record in home runs, was a Met once again.

“He makes us a better team,” Stearns said Wednesday after Alonso passed his physical. “There’s no question — he makes us a better team. We’re in a spot where we feel like we’ve got a really good team and we’re trying to win as many games as possible. He makes it better.”

This was the culmination of an entire offseason of rumors, valuations and devaluations. There were public negotiations and public puns made by Boras. Yet even when it looked as though the Mets were ready to move on from the Polar Bear, a reunion never felt far off.

Ultimately, what solidified it was a two-year pact with an opt-out for 2026.

“Both parties want to get it done, and that’s a really good foundation for a deal,” Stearns said. “We’re thrilled to have Pete back, and I think Pete is thrilled to be back.”

Typically, a player of Alonso’s stature wants a long-term, multi-year guarantee in their first go-around with free agency. This was expected, but the industry never quite came to a consensus on the right-handed hitting first baseman. If there were any long-term offers made, they weren’t made public.

Alonso has had two relatively strange seasons. His batting average fell to .217 in 2023, but he still hit 46 home runs. Last year, he had a career-worst .788 OPS. But then he hit a heroic, three-run homer off former Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams last October to send the Mets to the NLDS.

He owns a career postseason OPS of 1.003 and he’s hit 40 home runs in all but one of the 162-game seasons he’s played. Last year, he played in all 162 games plus all 13 playoff games. Stearns isn’t too concerned with how other teams value him since the Mets know him better than most.

“Free agency can be kind of a weird thing and players can be valued differently by the market in free agency at different points in the same offseason, certainly valued differently by the market in different offseasons. So this is kind of where it landed.”

Owner Steve Cohen characterized the negotiations as “exhausting,” with unprecedented public comments last month. To Stearns, this was simply being transparent with fans. To some, it was toeing the line of what is and isn’t acceptable in the collective bargaining agreement. Commenting on unsigned free agents could affect a player’s market, giving the MLBPA grounds to file a grievance.

But Cohen has always done things his own way. He broke the news of the Carlos Correa contract before the shortstop even took his physical, only for the deal to fall apart because of the physical.

Cohen was present and active for negotiations with Alonso. This isn’t typical of all owners, but Cohen and his wife, Alex, enjoy forming bonds with players and their families. Alonso and his wife, Haley, were already valued members of the organization when he bought the team, so it’s no surprise that he felt he needed to impress on Alonso the desire to get a deal done.

“I think, just accentuates the personal touch that he and Alex want to place on the team,” Stearns said. “And from my perspective, that’s an enormous benefit for the organization.”

Alonso’s return deepens the lineup, and Stearns expects it to create more competition in camp. Mark Vientos worked out at first base over the winter, but he’ll continue to man third. Alonso offers some protection for Juan Soto in the lineup and on the right side of the field.

“He wants to win,” Stearns said. “What he expressed to us is that he wants to win a World Series as a Met, and he knows a big part of our ability to do that is him producing. I think Pete’s had good years the last couple of years, but not as good, not as elite, not at the standard that he set at the front end of his career. I think he is very motivated to demonstrate that he is capable of putting up those types of numbers.”

The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time Home Run Derby champ has always maintained that he wanted to stay with the Mets, and stay in Queens. The former Florida Gator has seen the club go from a laughingstock to a contender. He’s weathered the ups and downs of the Mets as he’s weathered the ups and downs of his own career.

Next winter, we could be running this all back. Alonso could opt out to try for that long-term contract.

But for now, Cohen, Stearns, Grimace and the playoff pumpkin can all rest easy knowing Alonso is right where he wants to be.

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