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By Aaliyan Mohammed
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Mets found a way to bring Pete Alonso back on a short-term deal last winter. However, he has opted out of that deal and is once again on the open market.
Not only was Alonso named an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season, but he also had one of the best years of his career. He set himself up to be paid, hitting a career-best .272 and raising his OPS by 83 points from last season. He should garner plenty of interest this offseason, and figures to get the long-term deal he searched for last year.
He is a fan favorite and the Mets' all-time home run leader. However, his re-signing with the Mets is not a lock. David Stearns spoke at length after the season about the Mets wanting to improve their defense, and Alonso is not an elite defender. However, at the general manager meetings, Stearns noted he would "love" Alonso back in Queens, according to SNY's Phillip Martinez.
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Stearns also acknowledged the uncertainty of the offseason. He noted that it is difficult to predict how things will play out with Alonso as he goes through the free-agent process for the second consecutive offseason.
"You’d always love clarity early in the process," Stearns said on Tuesday, per Martinez. "Sometimes that’s not realistic. Offseasons are really long and can be tough at times in November when we’re all really excited to get going and standing here in the GM meetings ... but a lot of signings occur in January, February, and March. Offseasons now go into spring training and we have to recognize that, be patient and let the offseason play out."
The biggest question mark with Alonso is his defense. He recorded a minus-nine outs above average last season, according to Baseball Savant. He has a minus-33 outs above average for his career. Stearns spoke on how that plays into the team's evaluation of him.
"All parts of player contribution inform how we view the player," Stearns said, per Martinez. "For a position player, that’s certainly going to include offense and what they do in the box and what they do defensively. It also includes what they mean to us off the field, what they meant to us in the clubhouse and in the community. All that gets factored in with every player and Pete's no different."
Stearns also noted that Alonso is a "motivated, dedicated player," so he does think Alonso can improve on his defense at first base. However, the question will be how high the Mets are willing to go if he starts a bidding war.
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