NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Pete Alonso is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $54 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the agreement, first reported by The New York Post, was subject to a successful physical.

Alonso gets a $10 million signing bonus and gets salaries of $20 million this year and $24 million in 2026. He can opt out after the 2025 season to become a free agent again.

New York also offered a $71 million, three-year deal with salaries of $27 million in 2025 and $22 million in each of the following two seasons, with the ability to opt out after each of the first two years, the person said.

Alonso, who turned 30 on Dec. 7, lingered on the market longer than other top players. Among other free-agent first basemen, Christian Walker agreed to a $60 million, three-year contract with Houston, and Paul Goldschmidt (New York Yankees) and Carlos Santana (Cleveland) accepted one-year agreements.

Mets owner Steve Cohen expressed frustration last month, saying the negotiating was more difficult than the talks that led to a record $765 million, 15-year contract with Juan Soto, who like Alonso is represented by agent Scott Boras.

“I don’t like the structures that are being presented to us,” Steve Cohen said. “It’s highly asymmetric against us and I feel strongly about it. I will never say no. You know, there’s always a possibility.

“But the reality is that we’re moving forward and we continue to bring in players. 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.”

Under his previous agency, Alonso turned down a $158 million, seven-year offer in 2023 that would have covered 2024-30. He switched representation to Boras after the 2023 season and agreed to a $20.5 million, one-year deal that avoided arbitration.

Alonso hit 226 homers over six seasons with the New York Mets and became a four-time All-Star, but his strikeouts steadily increased to a career high 172 last year while his OPS has dropped to a career-low .788.

Nicknamed the Polar Bear, Alonso became a Citi Field fan favorite as a home-grown member of the Mets.

He was NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he hit .260 with a major league-high 53 homers — a rookie record — and 120 RBIs. He had a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022.

Alonso batted a career-low .217 in 2023 while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs and hit .240 with 34 homers and 88 RBIs this year. His three-run, ninth-inning home run off Devin Williams lifted the Mets over Milwaukee in the decisive third game of their NL Wild Card Series.

After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, the Mets added Soto and right-handers Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning along with left-hander A.J. Minter, and re-signed left-hander Sean Manaea, right-hander Ryne Stanek and outfielder Jesse Winker.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

The notion of a London Super Bowl has been discussed.

Given the political climate of February 2025, you have to wonder what words National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell will use in explaining NFL owners desire to have a Super Bowl in a place like London, England. In October 2024, Goodell said, “We’ve always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city that was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises, But things change. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that happens one day.” That sort of reward reference is a nod to local and state governments who partner with local franchise ownership to either upgrade or build a new football facility with the average starting point of subsidies of about $600 million. The 2025 Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans after Louisiana taxpayers spent hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate the local stadium. The last two Super Bowls in Las Vegas and Inglewood, California were played in recently opened stadiums. Things would have to change in Washington with politicians for the NFL to place a Super Bowl in London.

The Super Bowl is pure Americana, it is an unofficial holiday but it took an act of Congress to allow the game’s creation. Goodell knows that awarding the Super Bowl to a foreign country is going to cause political and cultural problems. After all, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives and President Lyndon Johnson on November 8^th, 1966 signed the law that created the Super Bowl. The American Football League-National Football League merger was approved by an act of Congress and with that came the Big Game which really wasn’t all that big a deal in 1967. Football really developed in the coal mining region of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia not in the coal mining region of England.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

RANT SPORTS

Free access to the Winter X Games on Roku

The Roku Channel the exclusive U.S. streaming home of the 2025 X Games Aspen gives fans coverage of the games starting today. Fans can stream the action for free by downloading the Roku Channel from the Google Play Store or the app store.

Roku has launched X Games TV FAST channel and will curate a dedicated X Games Zone, a one-stop destination for fans to browse, discover, and stream everything X Games

Besides the Roku coverage the 2025 X Games will get airtime on ABC. ESPN and worldwide on the YouTube.

X Games Aspen will take place Thursday, Jan. 23 through Saturday, Jan. 25 in Aspen, Colo., with some of the world’s best action sports athletes competing in ski and snowboard events.

Superpipe

The SuperPipe stands as the crown jewel of the X Games, showcasing the world’s top snowboarders and skiers as they push the boundaries of what’s possible in a 22-foot halfpipe spanning over 500 feet. Combining raw power with artistic finesse, athletes deliver gravity-defying runs filled with massive air and intricate spins, flips, and grabs. Judged on five key elements—amplitude, technical difficulty, execution, progression, and variety—each performance rewards innovation, style, and a broad display of skills. Local hero Alex Ferreira, a three-time X Games gold medalist from Aspen, embodies these qualities, captivating fans with his seamless blend of towering airs and technical brilliance. The SuperPipe continually delivers unforgettable moments, redefining the limits of action sports.

Slopestyle

Slopestyle transforms the mountain into a creative playground, challenging athletes to navigate an intricate course of rails, jumps, and features that test every aspect of their abilities. What sets this discipline apart is its emphasis on flow and innovation – competitors must craft runs that not only showcase technical mastery but also demonstrate artistic vision. Red Gerard, whose Olympic gold medal and X Games triumph have marked him as a generational talent, exemplifies the evolution of slopestyle riding. His imaginative approach to course interpretation often reveals possibilities that others haven’t even considered, turning each run into a unique expression of style. The unpredictable nature of slopestyle, combined with ever-evolving course designs, ensures that no two competitions are ever quite the same, keeping both athletes and audiences on the edge of their seats.

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Big Air

Big Air concentrates the thrill of snowsports into a single, massive feat of courage and skill. Athletes launch from a towering ramp, sometimes reaching heights of 80 feet or more, to perform their most technical and impressive maneuvers. The 30-minute jam session format creates an electric atmosphere as riders push each other to new heights, with their two best tricks determining final standings. This combination of high stakes and rapid-fire action makes Big Air one of the most intense spectator experiences at the X Games.

Knuckle Huck

Knuckle Huck has quickly emerged as a fan favorite by celebrating the creative soul of snowsports. Taking place on the rollover of a jump rather than the traditional takeoff, this event showcases athletes’ ability to manipulate their boards and skis in ways that defy convention. The relaxed format encourages riders to experiment with unique tricks and transitions, turning what was once a practice-session playground into a legitimate competitive discipline.

Street Style

Street Style brings urban riding to the mountain, introducing a medaled event in 2025 that bridges the gap between city and slope. The course design mirrors street features, challenging athletes to adapt their technical skills to rails, stairs, and creative obstacles while maintaining the spontaneous energy of street riding. This fresh addition to the X Games lineup represents the growing influence of urban culture on mountain sports, offering a new platform for athletic expression.

Music Performances

Enhancing the competitive atmosphere, X Games Aspen 2025 will feature live music performances each night. The lineup includes renowned artists such as deadmau5, Big Gigantic, TESSLA, Daily Bread, and ILLENIUM, providing entertainment that complements the high-energy sports action.