The Mets Have Reached the Worst Scenario With Pete Alonso

The Mets seem ready to move on from Pete Alonso, but at this stage in the offseason, options have dwindled to find a viable replacement for him.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 24, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Have you ever seen more baseball writers act like matchmakers, trying to will the universe to acknowledge the obvious fit between Pete Alonso and New York Mets for a reunion?

It was inevitable, they said. The postseason hero of 2024, the Polar Bear, the homegrown Met who might one day usurp Darryl Strawberry’s club home run record. The narratives alone justified a deal. It simply had to happen, but alas, it looks like it may not.

Leaked terms allegedly categorizing each side have spilled onto the streets of social media and words like “pivot” and “Toronto Blue Jays” are popping up in a conversation where, logic dictates, they have no place.

But what does logic have to do with a clash involving egos, millions of dollars, and the reality that the player in question is living the nightmare scenario of every athlete who bet on themselves and the theory of what their market would be?

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If this isn’t all a bit of posturing before an eventual re-sign, it won’t just be Alonso in an imperfect situation, trying to will dying flyballs over the wall in San Francisco’s pitcher’s haven or splitting time as a DH in Toronto.

The Mets, who seem to be over the waiting game, may wind up kicking themselves. And not just because they miss Alonso’s goofy charm and apple-raising bombs.

It didn’t have to be like this. And this is not me advocating for Steve Cohen to ride in on his magic unicorn (a fictional creature he could afford to pay someone to bio-engineer into existence) and make Pete Alonso and Scott Boras feel less insulted.

Alonso has been a fun Met, but he has also been a flawed Met with a growing strikeout rate, an affinity for chasing garbage, and a profile that matches some of baseball’s scariest long-term contract debacles.

Think Chris Davis with Baltimore and Prince Fielder with Texas, two large human first basemen who signed those big contracts before hitting a wall at 30 and retiring before 35).

If he can get someone to pay more than the Mets were willing, good for him. But what do the Mets get? Leftovers, unfortunately.

There was a point where there were plenty of first-base options. Josh Naylor and Nathaniel Lowe each wound up getting traded for nominal returns that the Mets might have been able to top.

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Reports indicating they tried to sign Joc Pederson and Teosar Hernandez may have gone another way if the Mets, themselves, didn’t have some measure of faith that the Alonso situation was working its way toward that supposedly assured and logical conclusion.

Similarly, Christian Walker could have been an option, or the marked-down Cody Bellinger deal or even, at the highest end of the spectrum, Willy Adames, to play third.

There were other big bats who could have provided the kind of protection the Mets seem to want and definitely need behind Juan Soto, who may be going from batting in front of Aaron Judge to breaking intentional walk records with Jesse Winker in the on-deck circle.

To be sure, there are still options. It doesn’t sound like Yandy Diaz is going to be on the move and denied the thrill of playing his home games in an A-ball park this season for the Rays.

But who knows? Might the Twins finally make Carlos Correa’s Mets dreams come true if only they have the will to pay down his cost for prospects?

Nolan Arenado is also out there with his suddenly league-average bat. And of course, there is Anthony Santander who could challenge Alfonso’s sheer power while also getting on base at an anemic rate.

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Both he and Alex Bregman probably have too many warts to warrant the kind of commitment each is looking for. If you were going to sign them, why wouldn’t you just sign Alonso? Have you heard: he’s a perfect fit for the Mets

The sad reality is the Mets waited too long to push for a resolution with Alonso.

Perhaps they were just being cute, trying to break him down to a short-term deal, but now that they’re here, it seems like they can’t get the money right. How much money?

It will be fascinating to find out, because whatever it is will likely not be viewed as enough to justify betting on Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna, and (insert random infielders like Jose Iglesias, Brandon Drury, or Ty France here) if those bets don’t pay off and the Mets regress.