Entering the offseason, one of the most discussed topics for the Mets will be what they decide to do with star first baseman Pete Alonso. As Mets fans are well aware, Alonso has one more year remaining before entering free agency in the winter of 2024. The Mets will have to decide whether they intend to trade Alonso now to get as big of a return as possible, extend him to ensure he remains in Queens for the long-term, or play out his final season on a short-term deal and see if they are able to sign him in free agency, like they did last offseason with Brandon Nimmo.
Pete Alonso. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
According to a report from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Mets recently made an extension offer to Alonso, that, while not insultingly low, “wasn’t one good enough to convince Alonso to forego free agency.”
While there is technically still over a year remaining to get the deal done, Mets’ decision makers will likely want to decide sooner rather than later if they are planning on keeping Alonso, as he would likely command a significant haul if traded in the offseason with a full year remaining on his deal.
Alonso reportedly was involved in trade talks ahead of this year’s deadline, with the Brewers feeling like they were close to landing the All-Star first baseman. There are also reports that Alonso is expected to be traded in the offseason.
For his part, Alonso noted to FOX Sports‘ Deesha Thosar that he is not taking the rumors personally. “Of course trade rumors are going to pop up … Billy [Eppler] has to do his job and he has to focus on the team. My job is to play the best I can for the team. Obviously, I’m a piece to the puzzle and I’m a part of the machine. But he’s gotta do his job, and I gotta do mine. He has to answer the phone. It’s not personal.”
For those thinking that Steve Cohen’s financial resources will ensure the Mets will do whatever it takes to keep their franchise’s single-season home run leader in place Thosar notes that that not everyone expects that to be the case.
“Mets staffers familiar with Cohen’s thinking don’t expect negotiations with Alonso to be handled much differently than other star players around the league just because the boss upstairs has a net worth of $17.5 billion. They’ve learned while working under the third-year owner that he operates within a line of reason.”
The Mets will need to first make an organizational decision about how competitive they intend to be next season. With the trades of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and others for prospects, there is a thought that the Mets will use 2024 as a transitional year and refocus on going for it in 2025 and beyond.
However, Feinsand reports that the Mets may very well attempt to remain competitive this offseason.
“I’m not convinced the Mets are ready to tank 2024,” the source said. ‘They could very well bring Alonso back and essentially return the same offense they had this season, then sign some starting pitchers to multi-year deals. The first thing they need to do is figure out who will be making those decisions.”
Feinsand cites at least one NL executive who believes the Mets will trade Alonso ahead of 2024, but then could attempt to re-sign him once he becomes a free agent. Another thinks the Mets are likely to trade Alonso, and could pay down some of his salary in order to maximize the return, like they did in the Scherzer and Verlander deals.
However, there’s at least one group that adamantly wants Alonso to stay in New York for next season and beyond: his teammates.
Thosar reports that “at least a handful” of Alonso’s teammates plan on privately appealing for the slugger to be retained, noting that his teammates find Alonso to be a “hard worker and fun-loving, terrific at what he does, handles playing in New York with aplomb, a glue guy of the clubhouse and a special member of the team’s core.”
Despite one report that Alonso has become “toxic” to the Mets’ clubhouse, Thosar reports that story couldn’t be further from the truth. Mets’ bench coach Eric Chavez called the report “ridiculous” saying that “Whoever said that is dumb. It’s just B.S.” Francisco Lindor, another of Alonso’s star teammates also called him “one of the best guys in the clubhouse.”
Thosar reports that Mets’ higherups were “notably upset” after the report and tried to minimize the anger in the clubhouse by reminding players that one person’s opinion of Alonso doesn’t reflect every member of the press.
At this point, it’s hard to know if September will be Alonso’s last month in a Mets uniform. If he and the team remain apart on extension talks, it’s entirely possible he gets traded and the Mets continue their trend of attempting to build a long-term powerhouse by beefing up their minor league system.
However, with most fans and his own teammates pushing for Alonso to stay on his potential Hall-of-Fame path in Queens, the pressure may be on Cohen, Eppler, and the rest of the Mets’ front office (including, possibly, David Stearns) to pay him what he’s worth and ensure he continues to hit bombs at Citi Field for the rest of his career.
