For pretty much the entire MLB season, rumors have swirled that the New York Mets will trade star first baseman Pete Alonso.
Up until late May, the Mets were not seen as legitimate playoff contenders. They boasted a 24-35 record after a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 2.
Since then, the Mets have been on the upswing. They’ve posted a 26-13 record over the past 39 games. Despite losing two of three to the Miami Marlins this past weekend, New York is a legitimate playoff contender in the National League.
How will that impact the team’s plans ahead of next week’s MLB trade deadline? According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, it’s now highly unlikely that Alonso will be traded.
“The Mets have told interested teams that it’s unlikely they will trade slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, league sources said,” report on New York Mets plans with Pete Alonso. “Though there’s an industry perception that the Mets’ leadership group will consider all options, people familiar with the matter said that it’d be unlikely New York deals Alonso even in a scenario in which it stumbles a bit before the deadline.”
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Pete Alonso’s impening free agency and New York Mets playoff hopes
The backdrop here is Alonso’s status as a free agent after the 2024 MLB season. He’s going to demand an absolutely huge pay day on the open market.
Even then, Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown the willingness to spend since taking over in that role. Money shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to vying with other teams for Alonso’s services.
- Pete Alonso stats (2024): .239 average, 19 HR, 51 RBI, .767 OPS
Alonso, 29, combined for 86 homers over the previous two seasons heading into the 2024 campaign. While his batting average and OPS leave a lot to be desired, Alonso’s pure power will be attractive to teams.
As for the Mets, they entered MLB games today a half game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild card spot in the National League. Perhaps, they change things up and go into buyers mode ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 30.