New York Mets' Slugger ‘Essentially Taken’ off Trade Market

The New York Mets' best player seems to be off the trade market with the deadline approaching.

Jul 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) cross home plate to score a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Somehow, some way, the New York Mets are now tied for the second Wild Card spot in the NL with the St. Louis Cardinals.

After brutal play for much of the beginning of the season, the Mets battled back and have found themselves in a position that no one expected even just two months ago.

When they were playing poorly, all the talk was about selling at the deadline. With a few weeks before the July trade deadline, they could now go in a different direction.

Pete Alonso is the main prize at the trade deadline if he does get traded, but according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, New York doesn’t plan on moving him.

“The Mets are only a half game out of a wild-card spot, which has essentially taken Pete Alonso off the trade market. However, they are keeping an open mind and might end up doing some buying and selling at the trade deadline.

"If they find a trade that could really help them long term, they’ll consider it, but they also might just add a few pieces, particularly a starting pitcher and relief depth, to try to make the playoffs this year. On Tuesday, they acquired righty reliever Phil Maton in a swap with the Rays for cash or a player to be named.”

Holding on to Alonso isn’t the right or wrong move. That can only be decided by what the front office decides to do with him in the offseason. With his pending contract situation, if the Mets don’t trade him, they better have a check waiting for him right when the year ends.

Baseball is weird, and all a team needs to do is get into the postseason for something to happen. That’s been proven time and time again, especially with the third Wild Card spot. However, despite the better play, New York hasn’t proven to be a World Series contender. 

If the front office doesn’t plan on re-signing him in the offseason, keeping the right-handed slugger just to have an early exit in the postseason makes little sense. It’s not the best attitude to think like that, but it’s the reality of the situation.

Losing Alonso for nothing would be a major issue and a tough look on the front office. He’s proven to be a big-time power threat, which isn’t something that’s common around the league.

The 29-year-old has 18 home runs this season and has hit at least 37 long balls in every year outside of the 2020 Covid campaign.

As a homegrown talent, they should look to keep him. If that isn’t the case, then it’s time to move on, no matter how the next few weeks go.