When reacting to the Max Scherzer trade, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said it himself. If a future Hall of Famer with a no-trade clause can get dealt, then anything can happen. It’s not like there aren’t already plenty of Mets trade rumors flying around to make someone question their own future.
Does this mean opposing teams might try to pry the Polar Bear from Flushing? After all, we wanted the Mets to lock down both him and Jeff McNeil to long-term extensions this past winter. That only happened for McNeil, while Alonso is still waiting for his big payday (which is coming soon).
Following this season, Alonso is under team control for 2024 before hypothetically hitting free agency. Since he’s technically on a short-term commitment, could that mean the Mets would seriously entertain inquiries about him?
It’s possible they would, but I’m sure it’d take a lot to actually trade him away. Dudes that can hit 30-40 homers every year don’t just grow on trees, ya know. Especially not as homegrown players with the Mets. He’s also the centerpiece of this offense as the only real premier power hitter. So, it’s not surprising New York has started to play a little better as his bat has come alive this past week.
SNY’s Andy Martino saw enough questions from panicked Mets fans about Alonso that he decided to address it on Monday morning:
A lot of people asking for Pete Alonso updates last few days. Here is my understanding. Mets are in position where they have to listen on anyone not under long-term control, but nothing has come close to serious regarding an Alonso trade. Not something to follow as of now.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 31, 2023
The position-player trade market is not the strongest, so maybe this changes between now and Tuesday evening. But seriously, this wouldn’t be a good idea at all and would have the worst kind of ripple effect (like maybe sending Justin Verlander over the edge for also wanting a ticket out of town).
Alonso’s batting average isn’t where he wants it to be, but he’s still slashing .218/.314/.506 through 411 plate appearances. This has been accompanied by 30 home runs, 75 RBI, and 59 runs scored. It’s already the fourth time he’s reached the 30-homer plateau in a single season since debuting in 2019. He’s also already within the top five on the Mets’ all-time home run leaderboard.
I haven’t been concerned with Pete Alonso getting traded. It was still nice to hear it, though. Unless something unexpected happens, this dude better be a Met for life. As for other Mets trade rumors? Well, I’m sure there will be plenty. Buckle up.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
