Former Mets GM Lukewarm on Re-Signing Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea

A former Mets GM says re-signing Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea shouldn’t be a priority this offseason.

Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) greets teammates in the dugout after being relieved in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While New York Mets fans are clamoring to get the band back together, one former GM isn’t in a rush to re-sign two of the team’s biggest stars.

On Tuesday’s Baseball Night in New York (BNNY) segment on SNY, former Mets GM Jim Duquette had a surprisingly tepid reaction to bringing back Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea this offseason.

In the segment called “The Rating Game”, the panel was asked to rate their level of priority for re-signing the two stars. Duquette provided a rather lukewarm score of 6 out of 10 for offering Alonso a new contract.

“I’d rather have him than not”, Duquette said regarding Alonso. “But he didn’t have a great year and you know you’re going to have to chase a lot of money. For me, I’m not chasing the money; there are other good first basemen like Christian Walker who would be an excellent fit and be better defensively.”

Alonso finished the season with a slash line of .240/.329/.459, all of which are below his career averages of .249/.339/.514. His 34 home runs and 88 RBI, while still solid, were both noticeable declines from the 46 long balls and 118 RBI in 2023, despite playing in fewer games than he did this season.

When the panel was asked about Sean Manaea, Duquette gave an even lower rating of 5 out of 10, citing the 200.2 innings Manaea threw across the regular season and postseason combined.

“The biggest concern I have is the workload”, said Duquette. “You saw a drop in velocity at the end of the year and its buyer beware. He’s going to get four years, he’s 33 years old, and $100 million or more. For me, that’s a huge risk.”

The veteran southpaw finished the regular season with a 12-6 record, a 3.47 ERA, and an impressive 1.084 WHIP with 184 strikeouts. Manaea also picked up two wins in the postseason for the Mets, although he took the loss in New York's final game of the season, allowing five runs in just two innings in Game 6 of the NLCS.

Both players have said how much they love the team, the Mets organization, and playing in New York. Manaea, who is expected to opt out of his current deal with the Mets, says he is open to returning to the Mets on a new contract; on the other hand, Alonso was more coy about his future and is expected to test free agency when it opens five days following the conclusion of the World Series.