A mere minutes after the New York Mets were officially eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday afternoon, Pete Alonso made his offseason intentions clear. Alonso has never shied away from the media or public perception of him, but the timing of his announcement – that he would be opting out of his current contract to enter free agency – could've been better.
"Playing for this organization, this city - they've continued to believe in me. I love playing here. There's some great guys in this clubhouse, some great people on the staff. Every single day, it's been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue," Alonso said. "I've really appreciated it and have been nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing is guaranteed, but we'll see what happens - I've loved being a Met. Hopefully, they've appreciated me the same."
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Alonso opted out – he was signed to a two-year, $54 million deal last winter and outplayed that mark. What will come as a surprise are comments from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, which cast some doubt on whether the team will be interested in a reunion with the Polar Bear.
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Do the Mets even want a Pete Alonso reunion?
The Mets are a better team with Alonso in the lineup, there is no question. This season alone, Alonso had a 144 OPS+, 38 home runs and a .272 batting average – the best mark of his career. Alonso gets on-base plenty, and if the Mets do not pay him his worth, another contender in need of an impact bat will. Scott Boras knows this, which is why Alonso didn't hide his intentions following the Mets loss to the Marlins on Sunday, and why Stearns was willing to comment so openly on New York's offseason plan.
"I think we're going to have to be open-minded on our position player grouping so that we can improve our run prevention," Stearns said. "Does that mean there are robust changes, I don't know...a day after the season ends I'm certainly not going to commit to what things look like in spring training."
Stearns lack of commitment to bringing Alonso back is eerily similar to last winter, when the Mets finally signed the slugger only after he took a short-term deal and his price came down. They may not be so lucky in 2025.
Where could Pete Alonso go, if not the Mets?
Back in mid-September, as the Mets were collapsing, FanSided's Jake Elman ranked the top Pete Alonso destinations should he opt out of his contract. That article is especially relevant today, as Elman projected the Phillies, Red Sox and Rangers to be in on Alonso if the Mets decide not to bring him back.
The thinking with these three teams is simple – all could use a power bat, and all have a looming hole at first base. The Phillies could lose Kyle Schwarber in free agency, and the temptation to add a Mets legend is all too great. The Red Sox are expected to have interest in Schwarber, but should they fail to sign him, Alonso is a juicy backup plan. The Rangers don't have a long-term first baseman, as Jake Burger took most of the at-bats there this season. Alonso would reunite with longtime Mets teammate Jacob deGrom in Arlington.
Of course, Mets fans hope it doesn't get this far. While Alonso and Boras love to play hardball, the 30-year-old is still favored to stay in Queens. Stearns sent a message with his comments this week, though – Alonso will have to return on the Mets terms, and not vice versa.