During his All-Star Game media availability on Monday, first baseman Pete Alonso made it clear that he intends to stay with the New York Mets after the MLB trade deadline on July 30.
“I’d love to stay and don’t want to be traded,” Alonso stated explicitly, as reported by Alex Smith of SNY. “I love [New York]. “It is home.”
Alonso remains on course to become a free agent after the season, and he was frequently the focus of trade rumors while the Mets struggled in May. However, the Amazins entered the All-Star break with a 49-46 record and a wild-card playoff berth.
The Mets acquired right-handed reliever pitcher Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays last week, and The Athletic’s Levi Weaver wrote on Tuesday that further additions before the end of the month “should follow.”
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo has publicly urged Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns to buy rather than sell before the deadline, but Alonso did not go as far on Monday.
“Right now there’s a lot that could happen, and whatever the front office and ownership decides to do, that’s their prerogative,” Alonso explained. “But for me, my job is to do whatever I can to help win ballgames every single day. I love this organization, I love this city, so I just want to do the best I can every single night for the guys in the clubhouse and the fans.”
There is little indication that Alonso’s team would agree to an agreement with the Mets before the slugger, who turns 30 in December, hits free agency. Some in the MLB industry believe Stearns would prefer to pay New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto over Alonso, assuming Soto reaches the open market following the World Series, as most predict.
“I love New York,” Alonso added during his comments. “I love the Mets. I love being in Queens. It’s really been such a special place. Some of my best, not just baseball memories but life memories, have been in New York.”
The Mets began the second half of their season with a four-game series against the struggling Miami Marlins (33-63) on Friday. Those matchups should provide Alonso and others in the Mets clubhouse with opportunities to persuade Cohen and Stearns that New York’s performance over the last month was not an exception.
