While the New York Mets made a pair of blockbuster trades before the August MLB trade deadline, it seems they were not far off from making a third major deal that would have shipped off a core member of their team.
The New York Mets front office saw the writing on the wall of what was a lost season and at the end of July came to the realization that they were better off breaking down part of their roster if they could make trades that benefitted the organization long term.
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After fielding multiple offers, the franchise found that in a pair of deals that saw them trade aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, respectively. While the Mets agreed to pay a large portion of the money remaining on the two pitchers’ massive contracts, they also landed a trio of elite prospects that are now among the 10 best in their farm system.
- Pete Alonso stats (2023): .224 AVG, .325 OBP, .531 SLG, 39 HR, 95 RBi, 77 R
New York Mets had serious talks with Milwaukee Brewers about Pete Alonso
New York made several other moves before the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, but it seems they were actually getting close to a third blockbuster deal that may have broken the hearts of many Mets fans.
On Tuesday, The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal revealed that the Milwaukee Brewers were in discussions with the team on a Pete Alonso trade before they eventually made a July 27 deal for Carlos Santana.
A source told Rosenthal that the talks had actually reached a point where a deal was in “field-goal range.” Despite a history of not being a franchise that makes blockbuster deals at the deadline, the Brewers reportedly were serious about a possible deal, and “officials understood they would need to part with at least one of their top five prospects for Alonso.”
Heading into the week, the first-place Brewers ranked dead last in OPS for first basemen and DH, so clearly the well-aged Santana has not done much to address those issues. While Alonso was not traded this month, speculation around the New York Mets is that it could still be a possibility this winter as he enters his final year of arbitration.
Alonso earned All-Star honors for the third time this season and is on pace for a second straight 40-homerun season in 2023.