The New York Mets are rewarding Pete Alonso for a productive spring. The rookie will be a vital part of the lineup from day one.
The New York Mets made the smart move to avoid service-time manipulation nonsense and put Pete Alonso on the 25-man roster. Furthermore, Mickey Callaway told Mike Francesa of WFAN that Alonso will be in the Opening Day lineup.
Callaway wouldn’t say definitively where Alonso would bat in the lineup, but he insinuated that Alonso would bat third and back up Robinson Cano in the two-hole. That would be a ton of pressure on the rookie, but he might be up for the task.
The Mets and Callaway really had no choice. Alonso put together a strong spring and forced his way onto the Opening Day roster. Alonso smashed four home runs and drove in 11 runs. Additionally, he posted an impressive slash line of .368/.394/.647.
There was some speculation that the Mets would engage in the silliness of service-time manipulation that has become popular in recent years. By holding Alonso in the minors for a couple of weeks, they could gain another year of team control over him.
That practice has come under fire in recent weeks and the Mets are wisely choosing to avoid the skeevy move altogether. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays won’t mess with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s service time and the San Diego Padres won’t hold back Chris Paddack.
There’s a clear message from the front office and coaching staff: The Mets are looking to win now. They signed Jacob deGrom to a long-term contract and have Alonso in the Opening Day lineup.
