Coming off a disappointing 2023 MLB season, the New York Mets have already made significant changes. New York hired David Stearns as general manager, bringing in one of MLB’s top executives to run baseball operations, and fired manager Buck Showalter. While both moves might be for the best, not everyone is happy.
Just weeks after finishing the season with the highest payroll in MBL history yet only winning 74 games, New York made sweeping changes to its baseball operations. The Mets are also expected to spend differently this winter, putting a greater emphasis on pitching and spending less on older players.
- Pete Alonso contract: Arbitration-eligible in 2024, free agent in 2025
Related: What t David Stearns will do for New York Mets’ future
While Stearns made it clear on Monday that All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso will be with the team in 2024, it seems Alonso was one of the people inside the Mets’ organization most upset by the managerial change.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Alonso took the news of Showalter’s firing the hardest. The All-Star first baseman’s reaction was strong enough that he had to be talked out of confronting owner Steve Cohen to voice his unhappiness with the decision.
While Alonso’s emotional reaction to the Mets firing Showalter isn’t a significant problem, it does raise more questions about the future. Alonso is arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter and he generated significant trade interest this summer after the Mets traded Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Poised to become a free agent in 2025, the Mets just parted ways with the skipper who might’ve provided them with increased odds of re-signing Alonso. As a result, New York now faces the dilemma of both needing to meet Alonso’s contract asking price while also having to consider what type of relationship the next manager will have with the All-Star slugger.
Related: New York Mets reportedly change 2024 plans for Pete Alonso
Regardless of who becomes the next Mets’ skipper, it shouldn’t have any influence on Alonso’s availability for the 2024 season. However, the emotional reaction does demonstrate how well-liked Showalter was in the clubhouse. If Stearns doesn’t make the right hire this winter, it could have massive consequences in 2024.
