Pete Alonso Gives His Thoughts On The Scherzer Trade

After the New York Mets’ 11-6 loss on Saturday to the Washington Nationals, the hot topic in the locker room after the game was rightfully the trade of future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer for top-50 prospect Luisangel Acuña. Several players were asked by media to give their thoughts on the deal after the game. No more interesting were the responses by the heart and soul of the team, Pete Alonso.

He started off by explaining how shocked he was Scherzer was dealt. He also gave his thoughts on losing the veteran saying, “it’s a loss for us, for sure.” And it sure will be. The Mets not only will have a rotation spot to fill the remainder of this season, likely with David Peterson, but now will have a gaping hole at the top of their rotation to begin next year.

With a robust starting pitching free agent market, the hole should be able to be addressed pretty easily. Further, the Mets were able to get a top-50 prospect for their troubles. With what we know now, as well as that impending robust free agent market, it was certainly a deal that had to be made. Whether players in the organization agree or not.

Alonso was also asked what he thinks will come next, “If a guy with a no-trade clause can get traded then anyone can. It’s a strange feeling, for sure.” Now, that is probably not true. There are several guys where a trade will not happen nor would it make sense. However, the trade of Scherzer was really not all that shocking. The writing was on the wall, if the Mets received a strong enough offer, a trade seemed very likely.

As for what will actually likely happen next is a continued sell off of assets with less team control. Names such as Mark Canha and Tommy Pham are the most likely. Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley, and Justin Verlander will also likely be brought up in rumors as well, but probably less likely to be dealt. Regardless, the Mets will still be busy.

A guy where a trade would indeed be a shock would be if Alonso, himself, was dealt. Here are his thoughts on if he thinks that is possible, “I feel comfortable here. It’s a great place to play, it’s a great city. I would be kind of shocked, just as shocked as I was when I heard that Max got traded.”

Alonso is set to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2024 season in 2025. This, of course, if a new extension is not reached. Despite the career-low batting average of .217 so far this year, Alonso still owns a strong .820 OPS and 124 OPS+, each higher than his 2020 season. He also ranks third in home runs (30) and ninth in RBIs in the majors. Batting average certainly does not tell the whole story, and this is definitely the case with Alonso this season.

All this aside, a trade of Pete appears super unlikely. He is still a very high-quality player, arguably the best power hitter in the league. The Mets are not looking to blast into a total rebuild, and trading Alonso would signify this. There are certainly changes coming, but it appears Alonso will not be the subject of one, nor should he be.