PORT STREET LUCIE — It’s been a lot of fun watching Pete Alonso play baseball the last five years.
We’ve allowed him to hit more home runs than anyone since entering MLB, visibly improve his defense, play solid ball consistently, and log 157 games a year. I enjoy watching him bring his very unusual lunch bucket attitude.
Mets fans, enjoy free agent Alonso’s sixth season in Queens. Because there is no guarantee that there will be a seventh season. I’m not reliving his tenure because this is definitely the end for Alonso. But fans need to be prepared.
In other words, enjoy it while it lasts.
There are several key Mets-related factors that could help keep Alonso in the orange and blue (more on that below). But let’s face it. This is certainly a possibility for Alonso.
On the first day of Mets camp here, Alonso had a lot of good things to say about the Mets, the fans and New York. But what he didn’t say is that he wants to stay at the Met (thanks to my new favorite baseball quote, Aaron Boone).
Oh, he had a chance.
Alonso said he “definitely envisions” himself as a “Met for life.” But what he didn’t say was that he only wants to remain a Met forever.
Perhaps he just doesn’t want to reveal his true feelings to help management in potentially lengthy negotiations. By the way, neither side has initiated anything beyond a $20.5 million, one-year contract engineered to avoid arbitration. Hearing. But I don’t think that’s the only reason.
Even if he doesn’t say it, maybe he can imagine himself somewhere else.
Believe me when I say Pete loves New York and loves being at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But like many star players, he has long been looking forward to free agency, according to those close to him over the years. I mean, dare I say it, he can leave.
They say he wants to get what he deserves. They say it’s okay for him to look around, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Alonso said a lot of good things about the Mets. But his actions also matter.
Alonso changed agents and hired Scott Boras, who is best known for maximizing free agency money. And let’s be honest, even before Boras was hired, Alonso was improving year after year. He showed little interest in a long-term extension.
Of course, Alonso could remain at Queen’s. It’s just unreliable.
There’s no reason to believe he won’t at least become a free agent, and there’s no reason to think there won’t be enough talent for him.
We hear the Cubs like Alonso, but we also know they’ve done little to strengthen their offense.
It might make sense if the Giants can acquire Winter July and his pitching staff.
The Cardinals could do well, especially if they can’t keep free agent star Paul Goldschmidt.
The Rangers, Mariners and Phillies could also suit up.
And yes, so are the Yankees.
Our two teams were kind neighbors. The Mets made no move to acquire Aaron Judge last winter when they were in spending mode. But Anthony Rizzo’s contract is expiring, and if the Mets make a move for another hometown superstar, free agent free agent Juan Soto, who is much younger, the Yankees will respond by moving away from their crosstown rival. I might have to pull it out.
True, this is unpredictable.
This can fall on the wire.
This may depend on Steve Cohen.
That’s not surprising. Let’s be real. No matter how many opinions baseball officials have, and no matter how much voice the new baseball president, David Stearns, arguably has as much or more than many others, it’s up to the owners of the money to No one would spend more than $200 million without consulting.
Throughout the game, Stearns has been a brilliant, calculating executive whose numbers generally don’t favor long-term contracts with players over 28 years old. He tried hard for 25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto. No one knows. He may like the 24-year-old Soto.
But let’s be honest, any major team that really wants to win (and I believe the Mets will, at least in the long run) will have a majority of star free agents like 29-year-old Pete. You need to take into consideration that you are aiming to reach the age of 30.
Stearns’ cold calculations helped Milwaukee reach the playoffs for the fourth straight year. He made some tough choices there (see the Josh Hader trade), but in a brief conversation with the Post, Stearns said he understood there were more considerations than just his birth certificate. He said there was.
“We evaluate every player as an individual,” Stearns said. “I don’t think we’re looking at career metrics or preference metrics that would indicate interest in a particular player. Every player is an individual and there are many factors that go into evaluation. We certainly recognize what Pete means to our organization and what Pete means to our team.”
Good for you. But the bigger factor, of course, may be Cohen. He didn’t buy the team to get booed by the five boroughs.
Cohen may end up saving the day and doing whatever it takes to keep his beloved homegrown player Alonso. But there are certainly no guarantees here. As they say, this could go either way.
