Pete Alonso endured a more challenging free agency period than most, struggling to find a dance partner willing to toss long-term money into his coffers. The standout slugger engaged in conversation with a litany of sides,

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets can expect a “motivated” Pete Alonso this season. David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, used that description of the slugging first baseman Wednesday after Alonso’s two-year contract worth $54 million for a return to the Mets became official.