Mets take Pete Alonso off the market, but will they regret it?

Pete Alonso was set to be one of the most coveted names on the trade market this year. However, the New York Mets have found their stride. Since falling to nine games below the .500 mark, the Mets are 23-11 and are in the third Wild Card spot in the National League.

As such, the Mets are likely to be buyers and not trade Alonso. And the Mets have also seemingly made a decision on the matter. According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets have informed teams that it is not their intention to trade the soon-to-be free-agent slugger.

Mets unlikely to trade Alonso, but will they come to regret it?

With the Mets in contention, it seems obvious that the best choice is to not trade him. But the Mets don't want to sacrifice their future and will likely make more incremental upgrades, similar to the recent trade for right-hander Phil Maton.

But will they come to regret it? Last year, the Los Angeles Angels failed to capitalize on Shohei Ohtani's value and kept him at the deadline, even though he was an impending free agent. They could have brought back a haul so as not to lose him for nothing more than a compensation draft pick.

Instead, they held onto him and didn't get anything in return. Ohtani now plays on the other side of Los Angeles. For the Mets, it's less clear. New York is only three games over the .500 mark, won't make many big moves, if at all, and they are also outperforming their expectations.

The Angels were also playing better baseball before taking a nosedive and falling out of contention. If the Mets do the same, then the decision to not trade Alonso could have similar consequences. As of now, it looks like the right decision. But if the Mets start to struggle, they could come to regret not capitalizing on his value while they still could, though he has indicated that he wants to stay in New York beyond the 2024 season.

We'll see how the deadline plays out for the Mets and if they can stay in contention.