Pete Alonso and the New York Mets are coming off an absolutely brutal loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
Alonso was thrown out at home plate for the final out of the game as New York fell at home by the score of 1-0. It did not come without some controversy.
As New York fell to a mediocre 15-15, there is a season-long backdrop in the Big Apple. It includes Alonso’s status as an impending free agent and rumors that he could be dealt ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
We’re now hearing some more on this from Jon Heyman of the NY Post. The MLB insider said earlier on Wednesday that there is a “decent” chance the Mets end up pulling the trigger and trading Alonso. He put it at nearly 50-50.
The broader question here is whether Mets owner Steve Cohen — as hands-on as any in the business — would sign off on the trade of a potential franchise cornerstone.
“The only way you’re getting out of [paying the tax] is if you have a good farm system and you can actually put players that are reasonably cost-controlled. We’ve got to find a blend that works. I’m not afraid to spend money, but I don’t want to be spending money for the sake of it. I’ve said this for a while: I truly believe the only way to get there for sustainability is developing talent.”
Wind could be blowing in the direction of the New York Mets trading Pete Alonso
Cohen’s comments are interesting. He’s talking about building up the Mets’ farm system. Per MLB.com, New York had the 13th-best farm system in the game heading into the 2024 season. That’s about middle of the pack.
Now add in this report from Heyman, and it seems things could be trending in the direction of the Mets surprising their fans by moving off a franchise star.
Cohen is not adverse to spending money. The point he’s making here is that it makes no sense to spend on an average team. That’s what the Mets are through 30 games.
- Pete Alonso stats (2024): .234 average, 8 HR, 15 RBI, .800 OPS
Alonso, 29, is off to somewhat of a weak start to the season. He hit .245 with a combined 86 homers and 249 RBI in 2022 and 2023.
It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this leading up to the MLB trade deadline. It will likely be all about what the Mets do on the field and whether they believe it’s possible to re-sign Alonso in free agency.
