First Pitch: Underestimated NY Mets plans go far beyond Pete Alonso and MLB trade deadline

The New York Mets were baseball's biggest disappointment last season, entering 2023 with World Series expectations thanks to a record-setting payroll before eventually finishing it as major deadline sellers and with only 75 wins. They did not sniff the postseason, let alone their first World Series appearance since 2015.

With the Mets being clear sellers, Pete Alonso's name surfaced around the MLB Trade Deadline. This came as a bit of a surprise considering Alonso seemed like a lock to stay in New York for his career, but with the first baseman having only one more full season of team control, it made sense for the front office to see what they could get for him.

Alonso's name was floated throughout the offseason and he is still mentioned in mock trades in the early going of the 2024 campaign. He will remain in rumors until the deadline at the very least, again, due to his contract.

Yet, despite said rumors, he's not going anywhere. The Mets have made it clear they intend to keep Alonso around long-term, and with where the team stands right now, it makes absolutely no sense to deal him.

Mets, Steve Cohen have no incentive to trade Pete Alonso

The Mets are armed with one of the most valuable assets in all of MLB. They have Steve Cohen as their owner. No, it hasn't resulted in a World Series title, but Cohen has done just about anything a fan base could want from an owner. He has spent more than any owner ever has, and has shown a commitment to winning and sustainably.

While Cohen won't spend foolishly, he has shown time and time again that he's willing to put his money where his mouth is, even in free agency.

In the 2022 offseason, the Mets had several key players slated to hit free agency, most notably Jacob deGrom, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz. The Mets let the oft-injured deGrom walk which was hard to see, but it was clearly the right decision.

Cohen made it a point to re-sign Diaz, a closer coming off a historically great season, before free agency even began. He gave him the richest contract for a reliever in MLB history. The Mets let Nimmo test his market and then wound up winning the bidding for his services, inking him to an eight-year deal worth $162 million.

Seeing this, why exactly wouldn't the Mets re-sign Alonso? Cohen is comfortable letting Alonso explore free agency to see what he's worth. Alonso has said repeatedly how much he wants to stay in Queens and the Mets have said that they want him back. It's all about money.

Let Alonso get offers elsewhere and let Cohen match. He has proven that he will, barring something outrageous like giving a 34-year-old who hadn't pitched in a full season since 2019 receiving a five-year deal in deGrom. Cohen will come through and re-sign high-end talent. Alonso fits that bill, obviously.

Alonso leads MLB with 198 home runs since debuting back in 2019, 18 more than Matt Olson and Kyle Schwarber. His 509 RBI leads MLB as well. He's done this while playing half his games at Citi Field, a pitcher's park. He might not be the best defender in the world, but his bat can be a real difference-maker. A core consisting of Alonso, Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, and exciting young talent in the pipeline is one anyone can get behind.

The Mets won't trade Pete Alonso because they're competitive right now

The 2024 season could not have started worse for this Mets team that lost each of its first five games of the season. It was over before it even began...until it wasn't thanks to the Polar Bear. Alonso's home run wound up tying their sixth game of the year in the ninth inning and the Mets rallied to win that game.

His bat has already made a difference for a Mets team that started 0-5 but has gone 12-4 since, entering play on Wednesday with a solid 12-9 record overall. Alonso hasn't quite kicked things into gear yet as he has just an .805 OPS thus far, but has six home runs in 21 games putting him on a cool 46-home-run pace.

This Mets team isn't built like the Phillies or Braves with World Series expectations, but it is one that can realistically compete for the playoffs. While the Mets are competing for a postseason spot, trading Alonso would be an incomprehensible thing to do. That'd be one way for new President of Baseball Operations David Stearns to get on the bad side of a passionate fanbase.

Will this team make the playoffs? I have no idea. They'll almost certainly be in the race, though. That right there should put an end to Alonso discussions. The Mets might not go all-in and acquire the best player moved at the deadline, but they won't be major sellers either barring something catastrophic.

This team is, at the very least, good enough to be in the race for one of the three Wild Card spots. As we saw last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, all you need to do is get in to make a run.

If the Mets wanted to trade Alonso, the time for them to do it was this past offseason. An Alonso trade then would have netted the best return with an eye toward 2025 and beyond. While the Mets' plan is still to find sustainable success in the future, they're also very clearly trying to win right now. Their late signing of J.D. Martinez only confirms that.

The talks surrounding Alonso make sense. 29 other fanbases want him. The Mets just have no reason to trade him. They won't get enough for him, should be competitive with him, and can easily bring him back.