Pete Alonso reflects on Mets’ season, discusses free agency

LOS ANGELES — As Mets gamers filtered out of the clubhouse late Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, boarding a bus again to the workforce lodge, Pete Alonso sat at his locker and added his signature to a bat. At varied intervals, teammates and members of the Mets’ touring get together filed over to supply their condolences, to say goodbye.

In a clubhouse stuffed with impending free brokers, Alonso is by far essentially the most notable. One of many longest-tenured Mets and a part of the franchise’s offensive core, Alonso could possibly be elsewhere by February. He understands that — even when, within the aftermath of the Mets’ 10-5 loss to the Dodgers in Nationwide League Championship Collection Recreation 6, he supplied solely a cloudy view of the long run.

“Actually, I’m simply actually — yeah, I simply, I don’t know,” Alonso stated when requested about his feelings getting into free company. “Proper now, I’m simply sort of shell-shocked that the season’s over, as a result of when you get on this postseason run, you sort of don’t assume that it’s going to finish.”

Alonso is likely one of the most vital explanation why the season lasted till Sunday. His go-ahead, three-run homer within the ninth inning of Wild Card Collection Recreation 3 introduced the Mets again from the lifeless, springboarding them into the NL Division Collection and, ultimately, the NLCS. Alonso stayed scorching for the remainder of the postseason, homering three extra occasions and reaching base a number of occasions in every of his remaining three video games.

Nevertheless it was not sufficient for the Mets to advance to the World Collection. As an alternative, Alonso’s final act as a Met — for now, at the very least — will likely be a constitution flight again to Queens on Monday morning.

“Actually, I haven’t actually considered something [beyond that],” he stated. “I like this workforce. I like this group. This fan base has handled not simply myself, however my household so, so nicely. Proper now, I’m simply pondering of the group.

“We’ll see what occurs. We’ll cross that bridge after we get there. However I like New York. I like this workforce. I like enjoying in Queens. This group is de facto particular, and the reminiscences that we’ve created collectively are simply — wow. For this reason we play baseball.”

Few gamers have been within the group longer than Alonso, the Mets’ second-round Draft decide in 2016. By no means thought of a blue-chip prospect partially due to his defensive limitations, Alonso nonetheless pressured his means onto the 2019 Opening Day roster and have become a star, crushing a Main League rookie-record 53 homers his first season. In a clubhouse starved for management following David Wright’s retirement, Alonso supplied hope. He gained a notable nickname, the “Polar Bear.” Some trumpeted him as a future captain.

5 extra productive seasons adopted, in addition to a pair of Residence Run Derby wins that he considers profession highlights. Over six seasons, Alonso belted 226 homers, which ranks third in franchise historical past behind solely Darryl Strawberry (252) and Wright (242).

The Mets’ resolution to hold Alonso on the Opening Day roster in 2019, nevertheless, resulted in him accruing his sixth full 12 months of Main League service time this summer time — sufficient for him to turn out to be a free agent. He’ll be certainly one of many, alongside J.D. Martinez, Jose Iglesias, Sean Manaea (can decide out of his contract), Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and others.

“As a teammate, it’s going to be robust, as a result of they made themselves some huge cash … and who is aware of the place they’re going to wind up?” shortstop Francisco Lindor stated when requested particularly about Alonso and Manaea.

Given Alonso’s tenure, no impending Mets free agent has meant as a lot to the franchise. However that doesn’t imply his longtime employer will pursue him aggressively. Alonso reportedly turned down a major nine-figure deal earlier than final 12 months’s Commerce Deadline, and he’ll enter free company off what was statistically his worst 12 months as an enormous leaguer. He set full-season profession lows in dwelling runs (34) and OPS (.788). The Mets even have a possible in-house alternative in Mark Vientos, who simply set a franchise mark with 14 postseason RBIs, ought to Alonso signal elsewhere.

These are causes to be pessimistic in regards to the thought of him returning. Causes for optimism embrace an October efficiency that won’t quickly be forgotten, in addition to Steve Cohen’s robust relationship with Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras. As not too long ago as Sunday afternoon, the 2 hung out speaking on the sector.

Probably, Cohen and Boras will converse once more quickly. What comes of these conversations may shade Alonso’s legacy in Flushing.

“Pete has finished a lot for this group proper from the get-go,” stated certainly one of his longtime teammates, Brandon Nimmo. “He means so much to the fan base and to this workforce. We’d like to see him again right here, but additionally going via that course of, I perceive that it’s a enterprise. He’ll find yourself doing what’s greatest for him and his household. He’s earned the proper to get so far — there’s no query about that. However I believe this October has undoubtedly topped it off.”