The Mets haven't given up on the idea of re-signing Pete Alonso.
The day Juan Soto was introduced to Citi Field after signing a record contract worth $765 million over 15 years, team owner Steve Cohen wondered if Alonso could be the club's next piece. asked.
“We think he's a great bat and he's still under contract,” Cohen said. “We hope he stays.”
At the previous winter meetings, Alonso's agent Scott Boras said the first baseman was in talks with other teams.
But Cohen seems to suggest the Mets don't need to rush into action.
“[Alonso] You just need time to go out and test your market and see what it is,” Cohen said. “And hopefully we can get there.”
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has consistently said the Mets have the payroll flexibility needed to add additional slots.
“Where we're going to spend these resources and how far we're going to go remains to be seen,” Stearns said.
Stearns was asked what he thought of Soto's defense.
According to Statcast, Soto had an above-average minus-5 outings last season, ranking him in the 14th percentile of MLB players.
However, Soto's arm value ranked in the 90th percentile.
“I think he's probably league average for a right fielder, and I think he has the ability to get better,” Stearns said. “That's something we actually talked about during our meeting with Juan, and he's motivated to continue to improve his defense.
“He has improved over the past year, so I think he can take another step forward.”
Starling Marte, who has one year left on his contract, is a trade candidate with Soto's arrival.
But Stearns said he still believes the veteran outfielder has a role on the team.
As it stands, the Mets have Soto, Brandon Nimmo, Tyron Taylor, Jose Siri and Marte as outfield options, with Jeff McNeil potentially playing in that role as well.
The Mets are unstable at the DH spot.
“[Marte] He’s a professional and understands how this works,” Stearns said. “But he still has a role on this team.”
