Pete Alonso's Chances Of Coming Back To The Mets Might Not Be Dead

Elsa. Getty Images.

This headline is asking the Baseball Gods to have Alonso sign with the Angels immediately after it gets published. I do understand the impending risks with blogging this. Hell, as I was writing this AJ Minter signed with the Mets helping prove reports that the Mets were going in a different direction than Alonso.

I just don't entirely believe it.

Jesse Winker signing for 1 year/$8 million dollars shouldn't have anything to do with signing Pete Alonso at 8 times that amount. I don't think Minter matters here either. Even with Winker and Minter, the Mets 2025 payroll is around $38 million dollars less than 2024. That's because that payroll had so much dead money in Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and even James McCann.

Al Bello. Getty Images.

You don't go and pay for someone like Juan Soto and not leave him as protected as possible in the lineup. If the Mets don't sign Alonso, I do still think this is a good lineup. The Mets were 7th last year in the MLB in runs scored...and that was without Soto. The Mets will be a good offensive team next year...but re-signing Alonso can make them great. 

I have to give Frank The Tank a ton of credit here. He correctly predicted before the off-season that Alonso would have a weak market. I thought that teams out there that need a slugger would finally spend some money. That the Mariners, Pirates, Tigers, all have sat this out is borderline baseball malpractice. Even the Yankees cheapened out to get Paul Goldschmidt.

At this point, someone is going to get a value in Alonso. He's averaging 39 home runs/season since 2021. He's been Top 5 in the NL in homers all six years that he's been in the major leagues. Pete Alonso is, for his flaws, one of the best sluggers in all of baseball. Is he Juan Soto or Aaron Judge? No. But there is still a place on nearly every team for a guy that can hit 40 home runs for you.

Finally, a lot of this gained steam yesterday after Andy Martino reported that the Mets were moving to a Plan B. Martino used to a pretty decent Mets reporter who sold his soul to work for SNY, back when the Wilpons were primary owners of both the Mets and SNY. He then became a mouthpiece for owners that had no business running the team spouting off whatever agenda the Wilpons were trying to fool fans into believing.

Thankfully, the Wilpons no longer have a majority stake in the Mets...but they do still have 5%. You know there are still people in the Mets front office who will use Martino as a public negotiation tool. Why not scare Alonso and Scott Boras into thinking a door is close to shutting? Especially if Boras is playing hardball.

I'll only believe Alonso is truly gone if the Mets make a trade for someone like Nolan Arenado (and move Vientos to first) or sign Alex Bregman (same mentality). 

...or if Alonso signs with the Angels because the baseball gods want to fuck Mets fans again.