The New York Mets have undergone a lot of changes this offseason, and the roster looks a whole lot different than it did a year ago. The infield is the big area of change.
Francisco Lindor is the only returning player, as Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, and Bo Bichette now round out the infield. Of the losses, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso are the most notable.
While Alonso left to join the Baltimore Orioles, did the Mets even have any interest in re-signing their franchise icon? According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets’ true interest in Alonso wasn’t strong at all, as they surprisingly never made him an offer.
Mets’ true interest in Pete Alonso revealed by MLB insider
“Unlike negotiations with (Edwin) Diaz, the Mets never made Alonso, their career leader in home runs, an offer to stay,” Sammon writes.
The Mets could’ve tried making more of a run at Alonso this offseason, and could’ve brought him back as their first baseman instead of Polanco.
But, the Mets didn’t have interest in him playing at first base, as Sammon reports that not only did they view him as a designated hitter, but they also weren’t going to give him a long-term offer like what he got from the Orioles.
“The Mets held some interest in bringing Alonso back,” Sammon writes, “but did not meet with him at the Winter Meetings, wanted him to serve more as a designated hitter than in the past and preferred a short-term pact.”
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Baltimore went to five years, while the Mets likely only wanted to go three years at most, like what they did with Bichette’s $126 million, three-year deal with opt-outs.
But Alonso was seeking more stability after the one-year deal with the Mets in 2025, which meant that the Mets were never going to put together a realistic offer.
The Mets, based on Sammon’s report, never had a serious interest in Alonso when it came to meeting his demands this offseason.
Alonso left for the Orioles uncontested by the Mets, further indication that the Mets didn’t have interest in the franchise leader in home runs.
It’s a sad end to an iconic Mets career, but David Stearns and Steve Cohen didn’t plan to bring him back at the demands Alonso had. Alonso is gone, and the Mets will hope to get better production from their new pickups in 2026 and beyond.
