Ex-Mets' GM Says Team Unlikely to Trade Superstar Slugger

A former Mets' GM made a bold claim about whether New York will trade their top slugger this season.

Jun 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a lot of speculation about how the New York Mets will handle the upcoming trade deadline.

Most fans have been trying to forecast the fate of their slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. 

Mets owner Steve Cohen has kept it coy when discussing his trade deadline plans for New York, who’s currently in fourth place in the NL East. 

And Cohen’s former general manager Zack Scott, discussed his old boss’s potential trade deadline strategy for Alonso with SNY on Monday.

“I think you play it out, see how it goes,” Scott said. “If there isn’t a trade opportunity that comes up, having that opportunity to negotiate with [Alonso] at the end [of the season] is fine. They may not find common ground, but I think they’re doing what they should be doing.

“Right now, if I had to guess, I don’t think it’s going to be as big of a market,” Scott added when asked about what sort of haul Alonso might bring the Mets if he was dealt at the trade deadline. “And oftentimes that happens with position players. You know, someone like [Luis] Severino may have a bigger market, because everybody needs pitching, typically. 

“But you’ve got to find that team that’s going for it, and that needs that position… So there’s so many things that have to align, that I’d say, right now, they’re probably not likely to trade him,” Scott concluded. 

This is an interesting take from Scott, who served as the Mets' acting general manager between January 2021 and September 2021. While Alonso is only hitting .240 on the season, he has never been known for having a high batting average. And although Alonso’s home run numbers might be slightly down from where they’ve been in the past, he’s still on track to hit 35 homers this season. 

Of course, the fact that Alonso will be a rental for a contender in their 2024 playoff push might dissuade some teams. But it’s safe to say that clubs will be eager to acquire a player like Alonso if it bolsters their chances of winning a World Series title this season. 

So maybe Mets fans should not take Scott’s words to heart, as there is still well over a month to go until the deadline.