Pete Alonso's path to returning to the New York Mets just keeps getting more complicated. Talks between the four-time All-Star and the Mets appeared to hit a wall last week. Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that team owner Steve Cohen called negotiations with Alonso and agent Scott Boras "exhausting.

In terms of how the Mets might be looking beyond Alonso, Jesse Winker was re-signed last week, filling another hole on the position-player side. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote that the Mets asked both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty to start working out at first base, with Baty also getting some reps as a second baseman.

There were several intriguing moments from the New York Mets' January 25 Amazin' Day fan fest event at Citi Field. However, the most compelling was surely what

Among those available were young infielders Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, who revealed the biggest clue regarding Alonso’s prospects in orange and blue — aside from Mets owner Steve Cohen’s blunt assessment of negotiations revealed during a panel.

The New York Mets have been playing some hardball with star first baseman Pete Alonso this offseason. Will he return?