Instead of keeping the band together for the remainder of 2023, the Mets went on a significant trade-deadline sell-off to restock the farm system. Any players signed through 2024 were on the table, but not everyone was dealt. First baseman Pete Alonso saw his name pop up in the large pile of Mets trade rumors. However, it didn’t seem like anything was seriously close to happening.
Or was it? Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on the Mets’ trade talks involving Alonso prior to the deadline. Two of the known teams who had engaged New York in a conversation regarding the right-handed slugger included the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. According to Rosenthal, the more serious team out of the two was Milwaukee. Here’s what he had to say about it:
Brewers officials understood they would need to part with at least one of their top five prospects for Alonso. One Milwaukee source said the talks advanced to the point where the teams were within “field-goal range” of a trade.
A Mets official disputed the characterization that a deal with the Brewers was within reach, saying the conversations never accelerated to that level. Other teams, including the Cubs, also spoke to the Mets about Alonso. But from the Mets’ perspective, no deal was ever close.
So, the Mets were either close to trading Alonso at the deadline, or they weren’t. Just riveting stuff here, right? The first baseman is under team control through the 2024 season, at which point he’s scheduled to hit free agency.
Will team owner Steve Cohen let this saga drag out that much? I don’t think so, but hey — you never know at this point. Until there’s some kind of resolution, these kinds of rumors and reports will keep flying around New York and Alonso. One would hope that the prime opportunity to lock Alonso down on a multi-year extension will be this winter. Depending on how negotiations go, maybe they also dangle him on the trade market again (which still feels like a long shot).
After Tuesday night’s game in Atlanta against the Braves, Pete was asked about Rosenthal’s report, to which he said the following:
Pete Alonso's full response to @Ken_Rosenthal's report on Mets/Brewers talks about an Alonso trade, including: "I love being a Met. I love representing the city of New York the best way I possibly can. I love everybody in this clubhouse. Being a Met, it’s the only thing I know." pic.twitter.com/YcvO3dsWv5
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 23, 2023
It’s really hard for me to see this guy doing anything other than sticking around in Queens for a while. But until that becomes official in some way, it’s anyone’s guess on what will happen next.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on X: @mmusico8.
