MLB Rumors: Mets' Pete Alonso 'Isn't too Likely to Be Traded' amid Contract Buzz
May 3, 2024
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso "isn't too likely to be traded," according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
"That doesn't mean the Mets won't listen again, though," Heyman added.
Alonso is slashing .218/.309/.445 through 31 games in his sixth season with the Mets.
The three-time All-Star is playing on a one-year, $20.5 million deal and is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Heyman's statement slightly walks back another report from him earlier this week, in which he said there was a "decent chance... not more than 50 percent" that Alonso would be traded.
Spotrac pegs the 29-year-old's market value at an eight-year, $263 million contract, worth an average annual value of $32.9 million per year.
Alonso is a reliable home run hitter, with 40 homers in each of his past two seasons. He has eight already in 2024.
A long-term contract could raise some concerns as to his overall consistency at the plate, however, especially after he finished the 2023 season with a career-low .217 batting average. Through 31 games of the 2024 season, his strikeout rate as increased to 22.9 percent, his highest in three seasons, per Baseball Savant.
The question of what Alonso's next contract will look like might not matter for the Mets until the offseason, however. For now, what matters is that they are winning.
The Mets currently sit above .500, if barely, with a 16-15 record. They are five games back of the NL East lead and remain well in contention for a ticket to the postseason.
If the Mets are still competing for a spot by the time the July 30 trade deadline rolls around, the club could decide to stick with Alonso even at risk of losing him for nothing. After missing the postseason despite a historically high payroll in 2023, this team seems likely to attempt a run if given any opportunity.