Recent speculation surrounding the New York Mets has revolved around the potential trade of Pete Alonso, their standout All-Star first baseman who is entering the final year of his contract. Despite the Mets’ lack of initiative in extending Alonso’s contract this offseason, several MLB teams have expressed interest in acquiring him as the summer progresses.
Initially, the likelihood of an Alonso trade appeared high, especially when the Mets were struggling near the bottom of the MLB standings with a 24-35 record as of June 2nd. However, the team has since made a notable turnaround, improving to 40-41 and positioning themselves as contenders for a wild card playoff spot.
Alonso’s current statistics stand at .245/.444/.474 with an .808 OPS, accompanied by 17 home runs, 20 doubles, 46 RBI, and a 134 OPS+ across 310 at-bats.
Despite their improved performance, the Mets are not expected to become aggressive buyers this summer. Instead, they are anticipated to adopt a balanced approach, exploring trade options for players in positions of surplus like pitching, while making modest enhancements to both their lineup and farm system.
Will Pete Alonso be traded?
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, other teams interested in Pete Alonso from the Mets believe New York isn’t willing to trade him at the moment. They speculate that the Mets would only consider moving their All-Star first baseman if they fall more than five games behind in the wild card race.
Alonso currently earns $20.5 million under his contract. The Mets have a strong chance of being within five games of a playoff spot by late July, especially with upcoming games against teams like the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Colorado Rockies. If the Mets perform well, they could be several games above a .500 win percentage by the All-Star Break.
While this doesn’t guarantee Alonso will remain with the Mets next season, it appears increasingly unlikely he will be traded before the MLB trade deadline. If Alonso is indeed off the market, teams such as the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, who are looking for a first baseman, will have even fewer alternatives to consider.
