MLB Rumors: Vaughn Grissom’s future, Cardinals optimism, Pete Alonso buzz
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Pete Alonso’s future is murky as ever
The New York Mets did not trade slugger Pete Alonso at the deadline, but they still took calls on the polar bear. Alonso has been a Met his entire career, and would prefer to keep it that way. However, Alonso’s contract is up after the 2024 season, and there’s no guarantee the Mets will bring him back at that point.
Steve Cohen has the most money in baseball, but even he has his limits. It turns out New York cannot just throw money at its issues and expect them to go away. Organizations take time to build, especially in sports, and New York is rotting from within.
The Mets reportedly told Max Scherzer they have an eye towards the 2025-26 season, rather than 2024. That’s what led to his willingness to waive his no-trade clause, and his expectation that Verlander would follow him out the door.
Billy Eppler was asked about how Pete Alonso fits into the Mets' long-term plans:
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 1, 2023
"We love having Pete here. As far as what goes beyond his last year of control, I'm going to keep those conversations internal. He's such a strong player for this organization and means so much" pic.twitter.com/RDS5YdqcyX
“I was like, ‘So the team is not going to be pursuing free agents this offseason or assemble a team that can compete for a World Series next year?’ He said, ‘No, we’re not going to be signing the upper-echelon guys. We’re going to be on the smaller deals within free agency. ‘24 is now looking to be more of a kind of transitory year,'” Scherzer told The Athletic.
Does Eppler believe Alonso is a critical part of that 2025-26 team? If not, then perhaps he’ll be traded at next year’s deadline. We have a year to find out.