The Pete Alonso Conundrum

[ashie62]

It is not a stadium for Pete but it's mostly about the money

I've been going under the assumption that Stearns does not want Pete back and failing an intervention by Cohen he goes elsewhere

Sure feels like it to me at this point

Washington Nationals sign free agent 1st basemen Josh Bell and another market falls away

The Mets gave an obscene, almost irresponsible amount of money to Soto and now they nickel and dime a lifelong Met and current face of the franchise

Grow some balls Stearns and sign the guy

This is my response

[metirish]

If Stearns doesn't want Pete and Cohen intervens then what's the point? Just run the team yourself

I don't think this is the case

[Edgy MD]

I'm certain that the issue is not the presence or absence of balls in the pants of the Mets' president.

I also dispute the notion that Alonso is "the current face of the franchise."

[Benjamin Grimm]

"Face of the franchise" is a subjective title, to be sure.

I would say, though, that in 2024, the three most prominent "faces" were Alonso and Lindor and Nimmo, not necessarily in that order.

[Edgy MD]

Subjective, perhaps, but it can be objectively inferred by who is featured most frequently and most prominently in the team's official promotional materials.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It can be objectively inferred, however by who is featured most frequently and most prominently in the team's official promotional materials.

That's a reasonable measure. Do we know who that was? My guess would be Lindor.

[Edgy MD]

Here's the NLCS program:



Here's the London series program:



I can't find a program cover from the standard regular season home games or the NLDS (or NLWCS) but here is a FOX promo for the NLDS that sort of looks like a program cover:



Neither the yearbook nor the media guide for 2024 feature images of players on the cover.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not surprised. By the end of the season, it was clearly Lindor's team. I don't recall if that would have been as obvious back in March or April. But maybe.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And also...



WEIRD!

It reminds me of the class pictures from when I was in kindergarten and first grade, when about half of the kids in the photo had their mouths wide open for no obvious reason.

[Centerfield]

It's funny how much that HR in Milwaukee changes the perspective. If he doesn't hit that HR, I wonder if there would be this overwhelming support to bring him back.

I like Pete. And I'd even be willing to overpay a bit to bring him back. I know that isn't necessarily the best baseball move, but as a fan, the people who wear the uniform mean something to me. And Pete is a loveable player and a terrific person. And I think there is value to a home grown guy who spends his whole career as a Met.

30/90 is fine. So is 4/100. Opt out after 1 in each of them.

I wouldn't be upset if Stearns took it to 5/125. I just don't think he will.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree with all of the above.

And if Boras is really digging in at $200 million (which has been reported, but I'm skeptical) then Pete will be unsigned until March and he still won't get $200 million.

[Centerfield]

By the way, Carlos Baerga is now speculating that the Mets have interest in Anthony Santander. I wasn't really interested in Santander as a Soto alternative, but might be at least a conceptual fit as an Alonso alternative. In many ways, he's the same type of hitter as Pete. Low average, big power hitter. He gets on base less than Pete, but he's a switch hitter, and hit 44 last year.

He's the same age as Pete (both entering their age 30 seasons). Like Pete, he's not great defensively, but has played some 1B in the past. How effectively, I have no idea.

Newsday says the Mets made an offer to Teoscar Hernandez on a 2 year deal, so it looks like Stearns is not shy about bringing in another corner OF and mixing and matching at DH. Signing Santander could mean the Mets move Vientos to 1B, then try to mix in some of the younger players at 2B/3B. Alternatively, Santander could try playing 1B.

I'm skeptical that this is anything more than a backup plan in the event Pete walks, or perhaps it's just leverage to bring down his price.

[batmagadanleadoff]

How things change. Two or three years ago, you woulda figured that Pete would be in line to score one of the biggest contracts in baseball history.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was thinking the same thing. He probably could have gotten his $200 million after the 2022 season.

[DanielTigerSS]

How things change. Two or three years ago, you woulda figured that Pete would be in line to score one of the biggest contracts in baseball history.

no one thought this. A bad defensive 1Bman entering his age 30 season? His last two have been slightly down, so maybe his projections have taken a slight hit, but mostly his skillset is the same. The Mets didn't even think that back in 2019 or they would've kept him in the minors another few weeks to control 2025.

What surprises me is that so many teams already signed 1B elsewhere. I thought for sure there would be a front office or two that would've identified Mets-specific inefficiencies with Alonso's approach and found projected improvement in their organization. It's not like the bat speed or exit velocity has fallen off, he's just seemingly chosen to hack at different ones the last two years.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The Mets' GM in 2019 was a former agent who still had his agent shoes on. That's why Pete's debut wasn't delayed.

[kcmets]

I wouldn't say Pete's a bad first baseman. If anything, I'd
say he's improved with each year. Each and every year. If
I said he was an above average first baseman would anyone
hurl a sneaker at my noggin?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I don't think he's above average, but I wouldn't say he's bad. That dropped foul ball in Milwaukee in Game Three looked terrible, but overall I'd say he's done a decent job.

[MFS62]

While he doesn't have elite range, he certainly has the stretch thing down right.
He saved a lot of errors on bad throws last year.
Later

[Edgy MD]

The Fielding Bible has him at -3 runs saved, tied for 21st among firstbaseman with 500 or more innings. On a runs saved/inning basis, he was 20th among the same set of fielders.

That said, fielding metrics change all the time, often largely obliterating the logic of the previous standards, so it's debatable how meaningful that information is. Or even if it's dead on, it's debatable too how statistically significant one run saved vs. two is when measured against the offensive output of the same guys.

[batmagadanleadoff]

How things change. Two or three years ago, you woulda figured that Pete would be in line to score one of the biggest contracts in baseball history.

no one thought this.

I doubt that the Mets soured on Alonso so fast, if at all. He led all major leaguers in HR's in 2019, his rookie season, while playing half his games in a pitcher's park and had hit more HR's than anybody else after his first four seasons.

The Mets didn't even think that back in 2019 or they would've kept him in the minors another few weeks to control 2025.

That's not why Alonso was allowed to debut on Opening Day of his rookie season, 2019. Fred Wilpon couldn't give a flying fuck that Alonso's free-agent eligibility would come a year earlier because Wilpon knew that his days as Mets owner were numbered and that 2019 would very likely be his last full season as owner. So Wilpon went all in on the 2019 season and Alonso's early free agency was going to be the next owner's problem. Fred Wilpon wouldn't be around for that. That's the same reason why deGrom was given an opt-out clause -- because by the time deGrom would be in position to exercise that clause, Wilpon wasn't gonna be around anymore. That would be the next owner's problem. That's also why the Mets signed Robinson Cano to a multi-year back-loaded contract that was guaranteed to age terribly. Because, once again, Wilpon wasn't gonna be around when Cano was guaranteed to collect eight figures while age-reduced to a scrub. That bad contract was also gonna be the next owner's problem. And that's why the Mets traded away a promising prospect with a high ceiling, Jared Kelenic. Because by the time Kelenic panned out, assuming he ever did, Wilpon wasn't gonna be around to benefit from Kelenic's prowess. Wilpon put every last one of his chip on the 2019 season because he knew that for himself, there wasn't gonna be a 2020 season.

[Frayed Knot]

no one thought this. A bad defensive 1Bman entering his age 30 season? His last two have been slightly down, so maybe his projections have taken a slight hit, but mostly his skillset is the same.

From page one of this very thread [Feb 3rd, 2023]: "Jim Duquette, on Mets Hot Stove, suggested eight years, $240 million."
And there were other similar type suggestions, although keep in mind some of them were based on the idea of signing him to a long term deal a season or two ago before he hit FA-gency and thus was younger and therefore more likely to justify a longer deal.
This thread is approaching two years old at this point so the topic of Alonso's contract has been an ongoing one here, and also a bit of a moving target as conditions on the ground shift. Also, not a bad defensive player at all. Now an average-ish glove 1B-man doesn't really add a whole lot his overall value, but nor does he hurt you there.


Oh, and welcome to the 'pool.
I remember your brother Tony. Used to eat his cereal all the time.

[Lefty Specialist]

I think Boras' insistence on $200M, at least publicly, scared off a lot of potential suitors. No one was going to want to throw that kind of money at Pete, so they went seeking their first basemen elsewhere. He may have overestimated Uncle Steve's largesse. I still think a deal gets done, but at a far lower level, with opt-outs so everyone can save face. The Mets are going to need a first baseman one way or the other.

[Edgy MD]

I appreciate DanielTigerSS arriving with his (or her) own avatar image. I'm embarrassed that newbies who don't upload a profile pic get that stupid toilet pic.

I don't know why the pic defaults to the toity. It seems like we're hazing the newbies, but I promise that we are not.

[Frayed Knot]

All is quiet, post New Year's Day