The Mets want to keep Pete Alonso in Queens, but they'll let him test the market.
President of Baseball Operations David Stearns addressed Alonso's status during his season-ending press conference on Wednesday, three days after the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 6 of the NL CS.
“Pete is a great Met. He was there right before I went in. [to the press conference room.] I told him I was going to answer a lot of questions about him. He wished me luck,” Stearns said of his impending free agency.
“He's a great Met. I hope he comes back. I think we both understand this is a process and everyone has their own interests. Pete has the right to go on the free agent market, see what's out there and ultimately make the best choice for him and his family.”
Alonso, 29, hit .240 with a career-low .788 OPS in his sixth season with the Mets, with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs.
He was one of the Mets' amazing playoff heroes, hitting the game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 against the Brewers in the Wild Card Round and finishing the playoffs with four home runs and 10 RBIs. , with 12 walks in 13 games, an average of .273 and an OPS of .999.
“Pete and I, frankly, have never talked directly about his contract. I think these conversations are generally best left to the player's representatives,” Stearns said. “But Pete and I talked a lot about the team. He's invested a lot in our group, certainly invested a lot in this team this year, and he's obviously going to give us a big hit. He brought it to me.”
