A.J. and John sit around the hot stove and chew the fat about what may or may not be going on with a Pete Alonso return to Flushing

A.J. Carter: Pitchers and catchers report in a couple of weeks, so we’re starting to see the end games in the Pete Alonso sweepstakes: The Mets are putting out word that they are prepared to move on from Alonso, and Scott Boras, predictably, is pulling the “mystery team” whispers from his playbook to pressure the Mets into sweetening their offer. Frankly, I’m getting a little tired of this kabuki dance and can’t wait for it to end – either way.
John Coppinger: I am as well. It's a tired playbook when it comes to free agency, these mystery teams and threats of moving on. While I don't think either side is necessarily lying, I do think both sides realize that they're not as good without the other. So while I would say it with any free agent courtship, I think it's especially true here: I'm not believing anything until I see Pete hold up a jersey. If either side was really ready to move on, it would have already happened.
A.J. Carter: I’m also starting to wonder if Boras, for the second consecutive year, is misplaying his hand with multiple players – in this instance, Alonso and Alex Bregman. I haven’t been following the Bregman sweepstakes that closely, but from afar, it seems eerily similar: two stars heading into the downside of their careers looking for prime career paydays. I think baseball – and, in particular, David Stearns – is onto Boras’ act. .
And, let’s face it, Alonso’s numbers don’t justify Juan Soto-type dollars, or even half of Soto’s dollars. As they say in the real estate game, look at the comparables, and historically, the Met most comparable to Alonso is Dave Kingman. Kingman’s career stats are a 17.3 WAR (3.0 as a Met), .236 batting average, .780 OPS and 115 OPS+. Alonso last year: .240 batting average, .780 OPS and 123 OPS+. Admittedly, Alonso is a better person than Kingman, and a slightly better fielder, but he’s become a home run-or-nothing guy, and the Mets can do better than that IMHO.
John Coppinger: Sure. They can sign Bregman, move Vientos to first base and be done with it. But that’s really the only free agent option you have that’s better than Alonso and as you said: Bregman is also a Boras client so you’re going from one quagmire to the other. The Mets can also put Ronny Mauricio at third base. But did they really get Juan Soto so that they could play an unknown (albeit talented) quantity at third base?
Alonso screwed this up by turning down the 7/158 offer, that’s for sure. But the Mets should be careful on their own side. Moving Vientos to first, while it seems easy, isn’t the best idea in my eyes … not after Vientos worked so hard to be adequate as a defensive third baseman. I don’t want him to start all over again and take whatever fielding troubles he has to the plate. (Say what you want about how “it’s only first base.” It’s not as easy as everyone thinks.) And a Pete Alonso second act would feature a complimentary player with any self induced pressure that he puts on himself melting away and trickling towards Soto as the big free agent fish. So the Mets would be wise to compromise on a short term deal with Pete which will make everyone happy.
A.J. Carter: This is where we disagree. I’d rather see Vientos move to first and – wait for this – move Francisco Lindor to third (just like ARod did with the Yankees) to make way for either Luisangel Acuna or Mauricio at short. We saw, albeit in a brief sample, how exciting Acuna can be in the field, at bat and on the basepaths. Somebody has to go to make room for him, and I think that person is Alonso. And we’ve been waiting for Mauricio since the early days of the first Trump administration. I don’t object to bringing Alonso back, but I won’t wring my hands if he goes somewhere else.
John Coppinger: I think there’s another way to make room for Mauricio or Acuna, and that’s second base. If the Mets truly think one of them is ready for an everyday role, then a trade of Jeff McNeil could solve that problem. Also, Acuna has some experience in center field so if Jose Siri plays good defense but hits a buck-ninety, then Carlos Mendoza can easily put Acuna in CF.
I agree that the Mets could do without Alonso if they had to. But after 2024’s great run, it would behoove them to build instead of shuffle, even if they compromised on a two year deal to give Alonso a chance to get that monster deal he’s been looking for in two years, and give the Mets time to decide whether they like Ryan Clifford enough to anoint him the first baseman in 2026 or 27. There are ways to make it work that’s a win-win for everyone.
A.J. Carter: Everyone except Scott Boras. Which brings us back to where we started. Boras has to blink, and where will he blink first: Alonso or Bregman? Which client does he see better setting the market for the other? Or doesn’t it matter? (By the way, in 2027, I think Alonso will be looking at Paul Goldschmidt money, so this is his best and last chance. And if the Mets are looking at a stopgap, why not Anthony Rizzo?)
John Coppinger: Because he’s 35 and injury prone. A down year for Alonso would be miles ahead of what Rizzo could do at this point. If the Mets have money (and they still have plenty of room under the Cohen tax to get this done), and championship aspirations, then they shouldn’t shut the door on Alonso as long as Alonso (and Boras) are willing to hear them out. As for Alonso, it’s a good time to remind him that the agent works for the player, and not the other way around. So if he still wants to take a modest deal and make another run in a city he loves, then he should instruct his agent, who works for him, to make it happen …
… before the Dodgers sign him too.
Such wisdom--if only Boras and Pete would listen up.