Mets' David Stearns Reportedly Will Be Reluctant To Deal Superstar Pete Alonso

The big hire relies heavily on frontline starters and power

Scott Neville | Sep 13, 2023

Mets' David Stearns Reportedly Will Be Reluctant To Deal Superstar Pete Alonso /

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New York Mets

The New York Mets have a franchise-altering decision to make regarding star first baseman Pete Alonso, whose contract expires after the 2024 season.

Despite the Mets' deep pockets, many have speculated that the three-time All-Star could be on the move this winter.

Fortunately, the new regime tends to favor Alonso's offensive profile.

"The person who pointed out the Stearns' (Adam) Lind-for-minor league (Freddy) Peralta trade to me said he'd be 'very surprised' if the Mets' new president of baseball operations (David Stearns) traded Alonso: 'He believes in power and pitching as the analytic fulcrum,'" SNY's John Harper tweeted Wednesday.

Alonso is hitting .224 with 62 extra-base hits including 44 home runs, 105 RBIs and a .861 OPS (133 OPS+) in 136 games.

The 28-year-old slugger is having a down year from a batting average perspective but his OPS remains right around his career norm. Stearns appears to be an analytics-driven decision-maker who relies a lot more on overarching production and won't sweat the low batting average.

There's no reason why the Mets could not reach an agreement with Alonso prior to hitting free agency after spending a record amount in free agency last offseason. Stearns will likely spend his budget much wiser than his predecessor and Alonso makes a lot more sense to invest in than a pair of 40-year-old hurlers.

Stearns leading the way is a good thing for those who want to see Alonso in a Mets uniform for the long haul.

Published Sep 13, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville is the publisher of Inside The Red Sox and Inside The Cardinals, as seen on Sports Illustrated. Before running his own sites, Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." Now Neville is adding the New York market to his arsenal as well as Boston and St. Louis. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu