Mets Owner Steve Cohen Makes First Comments After Pete Alonso Joined Orioles

Pete Alonso agreed to sign with the Orioles on Wednesday.

Pete Alonso departed the Mets in free agency. / John Jones-Imagn Images

The Mets saw first baseman Pete Alonso walk in free agency as the five-time All-Star agreed to sign with the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million deal on Wednesday. This is the second key player the Mets have lost this week, after closer Edwin Díaz joined the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal. Earlier this offseason, the Mets also traded longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien.

Both Nimmo and Alonso were homegrown players that had spent their entire careers with the Mets prior to this offseason. Not only did the Mets let Alonso walk, but they did not even issue a formal offer to him once they saw that the years and dollars from other teams’ bids went beyond their “comfort zone.” This notably comes a year after they signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal.

Read More: The Seven Ripple Effects of Pete Alonso’s Mega Deal With the Orioles

With three key players already leaving the team, the Mets are already seeing multiple significant shakeups take place, and a number of fans aren’t pleased with these moves.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, who apologized to his fanbase at the end of September after his team failed to make the postseason, acknowledged those concerns on Wednesday. He said in a text to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, “I totally understand the fans’ reaction. There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”

Read More: How Mets Can Replace Pete Alonso at First Base

Cohen’s message seems to indicate he is confident they have plenty of time to make the moves needed to compete. The pressure will certainly be on for Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns to make the moves necessary to replace those players and better the team for next season. The Mets began the season at 45–24, the best record in baseball, before falling off and failing to make the playoffs altogether. They’ll need better results next year to help appease the fanbase.

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