ORLANDO, Fla. — About 70 miles down the street from a Hilton lodge complicated in southwest Orlando, the place Main League Baseball’s Winter Conferences are happening this week, Pete Alonso resides in Tampa. He plans to make the drive east on Tuesday to satisfy with groups, together with the Orioles and Crimson Sox, a supply confirmed.
The Mets is not going to be amongst these golf equipment, president of baseball operations David Stearns indicated Monday, although that hardly means they’re bored with a reunion.
“I believe Pete is aware of us very well, and I believe we all know Pete very well,” Stearns stated. “I believe he’ll take the time right here to maybe meet with organizations he doesn’t know fairly as properly, and I’m positive we’ll be in contact.”
The state of affairs is evocative of the 2022 Winter Conferences in San Diego, the place then-free agent Brandon Nimmo — additionally a Scott Boras shopper — moderately publicly met with the Yankees and Giants. Nimmo didn’t do the identical that week with the Mets, who circled and re-signed him to a $162 million contract anyway.
Whereas Alonso’s state of affairs isn’t fully analogous, it’s apparent the Mets are working otherwise than they did a yr in the past, when their negotiations with Alonso didn’t achieve important steam till late January. (They in the end inked him to a two-year, $54 million contract, which he opted out of after one season.) This yr, Stearns stated, he “made clear” to Boras “proper at the beginning of free company” that the Mets are focused on re-signing Alonso.
“How a lot do I would like him? In fact I would like him,” Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated. “His means to put up each day, whenever you don’t have to fret about who’s taking part in first base and who’s going to be hitting in the midst of your lineup, you may’t beat that. So he earned [his free agency]. He’s going by means of the method proper now, and I believe David’s been very vocal how a lot we wish him. We’ll see the way it goes right here.”
That’s to not say for the Mets, it’s Alonso or bust, although there’s one much less choice on the board with slugger Kyle Schwarber returning to Philly on a 5-year deal. Stearns has personally scouted Japanese standout Munetaka Murakami, whom he stated “goes to be thrilling for American followers to observe.” The Mets might additionally pursue a heavy-hitting outfielder resembling Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, which would cut back the necessity for a premier first-base bat.
However Alonso is totally different, significantly within the eyes of native followers. A Met for seven seasons and a member of the group since 2016, Alonso is the group’s single-season and profession dwelling run recordholder. If he re-signs on a long-term deal, he might put the latter mark out of attain for a technology or extra. He would additionally give himself an opportunity to carry a World Collection again to Flushing and have his No. 20 hold atop the stadium eternally.
What stays to be seen is how a lot these potentialities will play into the Mets’ decision-making. Already together with his commerce of Nimmo to the Rangers for Marcus Semien, Stearns proved he’s keen to set emotion apart. Would he do it once more for Alonso, if he feels another plan of action is finest? Would proprietor Steve Cohen step in and power a reunion?
For now, Stearns isn’t tipping his hand, seemingly content material to let Alonso work {the marketplace}. One benefit of the Mets beneath Cohen is that they will nearly all the time swoop in on the remaining second and match or exceed the best bidder. That’s very true in the case of a participant as vital as Alonso.
“As I’ve stated all alongside, Pete is a good Met, and we’d like to have him again,” Stearns stated. “I believe Pete has demonstrated that he’s among the finest offensive gamers in baseball, and he’s carried out at a excessive stage for us. And so that will be a precedence for any staff. It actually is for us.”
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