Everyone’s talking about Pete Alonso. Specifically, everyone’s talking about whether or not he’ll remain a Met. This has become a hot topic after Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed that Alonso was the “center of trade talks” between the Mets and Brewers prior to the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Clearly, Alonso is still a Met and has said that he “loves being a Met,” but the news has gotten folks talking for sure.

So, what should the Mets do with Pete? Here’s what we think.

John Sheridan

Of course, the popular answer is extend him, and if there’s a reasonable framework, do it. That said, extending sluggers deep into their 30s has always been a risky proposition (Alonso will be 30 when he hits free agency). For every David Ortiz (*cough* PEDs *cough*), you get a Ryan Howard. Howard’s extension didn’t even kick in before the Phillies regretted that.

Not extending Alonso would be seen as a disaster. The only thing worse is seeing him leave with the Mets getting a lower-round compensatory pick (Mets got a fourth round pick for Jacob deGrom). The Mets need to be having extension talks with Alonso now. If they see these talks aren’t going to materialize into a contract, he needs to be traded this offseason.

Johnluke Chaparro

Easy. Re-sign the guy. My fellow contributors will state this more eloquently than I can, but the fact of the matter is that Pete Alonso means a great deal to the New York Mets going forward.

One of the issues that have plagued this franchise is the inability to keep homegrown talent here long-term and see them reap the rewards of success elsewhere. The Wilpons are now gone, and their cheap spending ways are a thing of the past. Alonso has already established himself as one of this team’s greatest weapons.

It would be a catastrophic mistake for Steve Cohen and the Mets to let Pete walk. Money isn’t clearly an issue, and the team is willing to keep their own. If the Cohens want to continue their goodwill and trust in Mets fans, give Alonso an extension and keep him as the 1B/DH of the current and future of this team.

He wants to be here, he loves the fanbase, and albeit he can be a bit goofy (that’s something he and I have in common), the guy has talent and passion in his game. Keep him here! The Mets don’t have many lifelong players. Alonso should be one of them.

’nuff said!

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Glynn

Just extend the man. Obviously, part of this is on whether Pete wants to test free agency or not, but there’s no reason both sides can’t come to an agreement before that. Steve Cohen has expressed interest in doing so, and Alonso said he loves being a Met.

I wrote before this season that an extension (including this year) could look like seven years and $145 million, right around the $21 million average annual value Olson got. (That, in theory, would look like 6/$130 million this offseason.) Would he be a first baseman for the entire deal? Probably not, but Alonso’s knocked down barriers placed by evaluators his entire career.

An issue with the Mets during the Wilpon era was not locking down their homegrown players, instead letting many go in free agency. Cohen seems like he wants to right that, and following Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, Alonso is a great next step. He should end his career as the greatest power hitter in franchise history.

Dan Quiñones

Extending Alonso should be a no-brainer.

There are plenty of reasons to extend Alonso, but the most obvious one is he clearly wants to be here. He has said time and time again that he loves being a Met, and I don’t think it was a coincidence that he wore “I Love NY” batting gloves in his first at-bat on Wednesday after the story in The Athletic broke. When you draft and develop a player who can produce the way he has in New York, it just doesn’t make sense to force him out.

On the field, it would be very difficult to replace Pete’s presence in the lineup. In his down year, he is most likely going to hit 40 home runs once again with an OPS near .850. He will shatter plenty of Mets records if he is extended, and if the Mets have any hope of competing with the Braves any time soon, moving the hitter who has hit nearly 25% of the teams’ home runs is a step in the wrong direction.

There are many instances of teams trading their star player rather than paying the player. Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Mookie Betts are the first few that come to mind. I doubt there are any Diamondbacks fans, Rockies fans, or Red Sox fans who will say they are happy with how those trades have played out. The Mets have no reason to add themselves to that group.

Christian De Block

There is only one right answer to this question. Pete Alonso is due for an extension, and why go anywhere else when he can stay with the New York Mets? Alonso made an immediate impact in the big leagues, hitting a league-best 53 home runs in 2019. His individual success has continued, making the All-Star team in each of the last two years.

The Mets should not only extend him for what he does on the field, but what he provides off the field. Alonso is a leader, a great clubhouse guy, and a fan favorite. That cannot go unnoticed. Sure, he may have got off to a rough start in 2023, but he has rediscovered his power stroke recently. Alonso can and should most definitely be a Met for life.

Michelle Ioannou

I hate that this is even a “hot topic” right now – it shouldn’t be. Pete is our homegrown boy. He’s contributing to this team – on the field, in the clubhouse, and off the field. He’s a fan favorite. He loves being a Met and his passion is evident. Plus, he’s contributing to the team! Yeah, this year wasn’t his best start, but he’s been back, showing what he can do. There’s no reason to get rid of him right now. It’ll be a slap in the face to the fans, too.

Andrew Steele-Davis

This shouldn’t even be a conversation. Pete Alonso is the heartbeat of this team and one of the faces of the franchise alongside Francisco Lindor. Those two should be charged with spearheading this rebuild, and parting ways with an elite homegrown talent in Alonso would send a really bad message to the fans. It may even convince Lindor to change his mind about wanting to be here.

Not extending Alonso and allowing him to play elsewhere would effectively be waving the white flag on wanting to win now anytime soon.

Plus, Alonso actually wants to be a Met, and he wants to remain in Queens for the long haul. He’s made that crystal clear time and time and time again. He’s on pace to become the best pure power hitter in the history of the entire franchise, he wants to win, the fans love him, and with the Wilpons long gone, money and extending a homegrown star shouldn’t be an issue anymore. The arrival of Steve Cohen was meant to put an end to the days when the Mets allowed homegrown talent to walk out of the door and enjoy unprecedented success elsewhere.

Plus, some things can be done to ensure Alonso plays up to his greatest strength as a power hitter for the shelf life of any extension. And that is to mix in some time as a DH in order to keep him as fresh as possible for the longest time possible. All Alonso has done since getting to the majors is mash at a high level. Now give him the payday and the contract he so deserves