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Mets Reportedly Discussed Trades Involving Star Slugger; Could Major Shakeup Be Coming?
The New York Mets were one of the busiest teams in baseball ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline but there are even more moves the club didn't make.
New York traded away former Cy Young Award winners Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, relief pitcher David Robertson, and outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha to name a few players now playing elsewhere. The Mets have been one of the biggest surprises this year after entering the 2023 season with World Series aspirations after 101 wins last season.
The Mets never were able to get on track and now are in fourth place in the National League East. New York will have some serious decisions to make this upcoming offseason and the biggest one likely will be the future of slugger Pete Alonso. The slugger is under team control until 2025, but if the Mets are a few years away from contention may end up dealing away the 28-year-old. New York even reportedly considered a deal ahead of the trade deadline, but nothing came to fruition, according to the New York Post's Mike Puma.
"Alonso, who can become a free agent after next season, was among the players the Mets dangled at the trade deadline, but their asking price was very high and they never came close to dealing him, according to a source," Puma said. It’s unclear how serious the Mets were about trying to trade the first baseman."
While it's unclear how much the Mets actually considered trading Alonso, the fact that there is even any consideration suggests at least a possibility the slugger could be playing elsewhere by the time the 2024 campaign rolls around. If the Mets were to trade Alonso it would be a clear sign the team isn't expecting to contend until at least the 2025 or 2026 season as Scherzer suggested after being traded away. There's still plenty of time left this season and it's too early to forecast the upcoming offseason but Alonso is someone to watch out for.
