Disappointingly, Alonso claims he will trade and discuss unleashing anger..
There are plenty of rumors swirling around the New York Mets.
New York has had an up-and-down start to the 2024 campaign but does have the talent to compete for a postseason spot. The Mets have shown some flashes but have been inconsistent to begin the campaign.
One big question that the club will have to address is the future of star first baseman Pete Alonso. The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season and it’s unclear what will happen with him. He has made it known that he wants to stay in New York, but he has been in trade rumors over the last year.
If the Mets aren’t in contention for a postseason spot around the trade deadline it wouldn’t be too surprising to see trade speculation pick up even more than it already has. Alonso is expected to land a massive deal in free agency and it’s unclear if New York wants to pay him.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden compiled a list of trades he’d like to see happen and floated the Seattle Mariners as a possible option for Alonso if the Mets end up moving him.
“Alonso will be a free agent after this season and there is no indication that the Mets are going to extend him long-term before he reaches free agency,” Bowden said. “Therefore, if they aren’t in the wild-card race come late July, they should trade Alonso and try to re-sign him in the offseason. He loves New York and loves being a Met, so they’d have a legitimate chance to sign him in the winter…
“The Mariners, on the other side of this deal, would fill their biggest need, landing a big middle-of-the-order power bat to give them a much better chance of winning the (American League) West and even running the table in October. Seattle could replace (Emerson Hancock) in the rotation with Bryan Woo and still have the best five-man rotation in baseball.”
This isn’t an indication a deal will happen, but a move Bowden speculated could make sense. Alonso has been a homegrown star for the Mets and they at least should consider all options to retain him before considering any trade.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso “isn’t too likely to be traded,” according to the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman.
“That doesn’t mean the Mets won’t listen again, though,” Heyman added.
Alonso is slashing .218/.309/.445 through 31 games in his sixth season with the Mets.
The three-time All-Star is playing on a one-year, $20.5 million deal and is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Heyman’s statement slightly walks back another report from him earlier this week, in which he said there was a “decent chance… not more than 50 percent” that Alonso would be traded.
Spotrac pegs the 29-year-old’s market value at an eight-year, $263 million contract, worth an average annual value of $32.9 million per year.
Alonso is a reliable home run hitter, with 40 homers in each of his past two seasons. He has eight already in 2024.
A long-term contract could raise some concerns as to his overall consistency at the plate, however, especially after he finished the 2023 season with a career-low .217 batting average. Through 31 games of the 2024 season, his strikeout rate as increased to 22.9 percent, his highest in three seasons, per Baseball Savant.
The question of what Alonso’s next contract will look like might not matter for the Mets until the offseason, however. For now, what matters is that they are winning.
The Mets currently sit above .500, if barely, with a 16-15 record. They are five games back of the NL East lead and remain well in contention for a ticket to the postseason.
If the Mets are still competing for a spot by the time the July 30 trade deadline rolls around, the club could decide to stick with Alonso even at risk of losing him for nothing. After missing the postseason despite a historically high payroll in 2023, this team seems likely to attempt a run if given any opportunity.
