Ever since the trade deadline there have been rumors about the New York Mets dealing three-time All-Star Pete Alonso. After he wasn't moved at that point, there were still questions about his future in the big apple with David Stearns coming in as President of Baseball Operations.
As a homegrown Met, it would be a tough pill to swallow for New York fans to see their beloved first basemen in another uniform. After Stearns officially became apart of the Mets organization today, he put the rumors to rest quickly.
The two-time Home Run Derby champion has one year remaining on his deal. Stearns will likely want to get an extension done with Alonso in the offseason, but it remains to see what the contract will look like or if they will even reach an agreement before the season.
One thing we do know for sure is that Alonso will be on the roster in 2024. Mets fans can take a deep breath, as they know they're one step closer to seeing their fan favorite become locked up long-term.
What does this mean for the Mets in 2024?
After letting go of two future Hall-of-Fame pitchers, along with other established veterans at the deadline, the Mets were able to bring in high-profile prospects. LuisAngel Acuna and Drew Gilbert were brought in while parting ways with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Those two young players are now New York's top two prospects. They also have Ronny Mauricio who came up in September, and fans are excited to see what he can provide in 2024. The Mets are becoming a younger team, but they still attain talented players in their prime.
Alonso is one of the best sluggers in baseball and may be on his way to becoming one of the best home-run hitters of his time. Through his first five seasons, he's hit 192 HRs. Only two players have hit more than the Mets slugger throughout their first five seasons, and those two are Ralph Kiner and Albert Pujols.
Alonso hit .218 on the season but drove in over 115 RBIs for the third time in his career. He also hit over 40 HRs for a third time in just five seasons, and one of those was the shortened COVID season. When you have a player like that on your roster, you are going to have a chance to reach the postseason.
With the Atlanta Braves being a powerhouse in the NL East, it seems unlikely the Mets will win the division in 2024. A Wild-Card berth is on the table, as they have Francisco Lindor alongside Alonso in the middle of the lineup.
Despite an overall down year for the Mets, Lindor had one of his best seasons in New York. The shortstop hit 31 HRs, swiped 31 bases, and had a .808 OPS. He proved that he is still one of the best shortstops in baseball, which means the Mets have two very good pieces to work on in 2024.
Edwin Diaz will also be returning, and before he went down with a season-ending leg injury he was one of the best closers in baseball. If New York can build a reliable rotation, they'd have a shot at the postseason.
Keeping Pete Alonso is the right move for the Mets
No matter how many rumors there were, retaining one of the best power hitters in baseball made sense for the Mets. If Stearns were to trade away one of the franchise's top players, then it would've sent the wrong message.
New York has a good group of players, but they still need a few more pieces to become a perennial contender. Keeping Alonso in the core allows the Mets to build an elite lineup. With some big names set to hit free agency this offseason and next, such as Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, it will allow Steve Cohen to reach into those deep pockets.
It will be an interesting offseason in New York, as eyeballs will be on Stearns being the first-ever President of Baseball Operations in the franchise's history. Keeping Alonso apart of the Mets future indicates that he wants to build a long-term competitor in the Big Apple.