Bear minimum
New prez lauds slugger, but in no rush to make long-term offer
It sounds as if Pete Alonso will be back next season.
It does not sound as if the Mets will soon ensure Alonso sticks around after 2024.
In David Stearns’ introductory news conference, the new Mets president of baseball operations strongly suggested he would not make any definitive decision on Alonso this offseason. The slugging first baseman likely will not be traded and likely will not be extended any time soon, his long-term future still in doubt.
“I expect Pete to be the Opening Day first baseman next year,” Stearns said at Citi Field on Monday. “Pete’s an important member of this team. He’s an important member of this organization. And I think we’re really fortunate to have him.”
They have him for now, at least. Alonso, just 28 and yet tied for fourth on the franchise’s all-time home run list with 192, can be a free agent after next season. There were trade rumors swirling at the deadline around Alonso, a leader of the club who repeatedly has said he loves New York and wants to be here.
The Brewers, whom Stearns ran until a 2023 season in which he took a step back and served as an adviser, were at the center of those trade rumors, though Stearns said he was not involved in the talks.
The Mets, with Billy Eppler in charge, locked up Jeff McNeil last offseason before he reached free agency but allowed Brandon Nimmo to hit the open market, only to then re-sign Nimmo.
Stearns’ Mets will not take the McNeil route with Alonso, which means Alonso will return next season and be faced with an onslaught of questions about his future and bring added pressure to each atbat.
“I think Pete’s demonstrated he can handle pressure,” Stearns said of Alonso, who finished another strong, if somewhat down, 2023 season with an .821 OPS and 46 home runs in 154 games. “He handled a whole lot of questions this year — had a pretty good season and handled them well. I’m not particularly concerned about Pete being distracted.”
Alonso is a homegrown Met, drafted in the second round in 2016, who cracked into the majors in 2019 and instantly proved to be a star, beloved by the fan base and within the clubhouse. He has been a rare power threat and a unifier among his teammates.
But Alonso, who turns 29 in December, likely is looking for a long extension and plays a position (first base) at which players can age poorly. The two biggest contracts to first basemen in baseball history — Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols — eventually looked like albatrosses.
Stearns suggested the intangibles — who Alonso is and where he has come from — and not just a statistical projection will play a role in the eventual decision.
“I think the entire package weighs into it,” Stearns said. “Pete is a great player. He is also good in the clubhouse, and he is also homegrown. All of that matters.”