While many long-time New York Mets supporters hope the team will eventually sign first baseman Pete Alonso to a long-term contract, a former general manager says there is evidence that moving on from him is the best decision.
Entering today’s MLB games, the Mets have been one of baseball’s hottest teams in recent weeks. They’ve won 11 of their last 14, giving fans cause to believe they’ll compete for a Wild Card position in 2024. It has also raised questions about whether they will be sellers before the July 30 MLB trade, as many had thought.
That would appease fans who do not want to see the team live up to months of whispers about moving homegrown slugger Pete Alonso. Former Mets GM Steve Phillips believes that trading Alonso this summer or allowing him to leave in free agency after the season would be the best long-term decision for the team.
“I think he’s going to get a big contract,” Phillips told “MLB Now” this week. “Someone is going to pay him…” Here’s what I see as the problem with these first basemen: they’re huge, slow, only play one position on the field, and they’re [simply] bats to be productive.”
“Look at some of the batters; Paul Goldschmidt has dramatically deteriorated in his ability to hit the fastball at 95 mph or higher. Any pitch 95 and higher. Alonso’s performance has declined each year since his first year. He is hitting.”196 this year on pitches 95 and up,” he continued. “… That’s where the aging player goes.”
“I am scared about Alonso. I’m fine for the next 3-4 years, but I’m not ready at 34, 35, or 36 years old.”
While the three-time All-Star’s hitting averages in several categories are higher than his career lows in 2023, he is not smashing home runs like he used to. He is on pace to hit fewer than 40 home runs for the first time since 2021.
