As the New York Mets prepare for their season opener Thursday night in Washington, DC, several players spoke with the media on Tuesday afternoon. Pete Alonso was among them, and he expressed his excitement for the upcoming campaign, while also sharing his thoughts on the Mets’ new shortstop, Francisco Lindor.
Alonso was a founding member of the Mets’ 2019 “cookie club”, a group of players who would gather after games to talk baseball. As John Flanagan of MMO tweeted, Alonso sees a similar camaraderie among the current group of players.
Alonso said this group has been gelling really well together, and it’s going to be something special.
“Having the new additions and having the core group of guys, all of us are pushing each other in a positive way.”@Metsmerized
— John Flanigan (@JohnFlanigan_) March 30, 2021
Among the “new additions” on the team is the offseason’s prize acquisition, Francisco Lindor. As we know, Lindor and the Mets are up against the clock to work out a contract extension before the season starts. The shortstop has indicated he will not negotiate in-season (the same applies to Michael Conforto, though Conforto’s position does not seem as hardened).
According to reports, the Mets and Lindor have a fairly substantial gap between their current offers. The Mets are said to have a deal on the table for 10 years, $325 million, while Lindor has countered with 12 years, $385 million.
Alonso thinks Lindor is worth every penny he is due on his next contract, as he advocated for the shortstop to get a pretty significant payday.
Pete Alonso on Francisco Lindor:
"I hope they pay him $400 million, he's worth every penny" pic.twitter.com/scrtOySs4S
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 30, 2021
Alonso went on to say that he “respects the hell out of” Lindor and can just tell (Lindor) is “damn special”.
The 26-year-old first baseman is clearly correct on the “special” part, as Lindor is a four-time All-Star at 27 years old. The native of Puerto Rico also owns two Gold Gloves, and has a career bWAR of 28.8 over six seasons.
It behooves the Mets to resolve the Lindor situation before 7:09 pm on Thursday night, as not signing the star player will be a big distraction for as long as the situation goes on. In addition, the Mets parted with talented players in Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario to complete the trade, and they risk having nothing to show for their investment after the 2021 season.
Still, it’s great to hear Alonso talking about how the Mets are blending well as a team. It only serves to fuel the excitement the fans have for the upcoming season. Signing Lindor long-term would only further energize the fan base, and bring Alonso’s enthusiasm to an even higher level.
