Could Mets New Executive Trade Their Superstar Slugger?

The New York Mets made waves on Tuesday when they hired executive David Stearns to be their new president of baseball operations.

It was a hire that the franchise has been trying to make since 2021 when the Milwaukee Brewers denied Stearns permission to talk with the Mets.

After the coveted executive stepped down from his role and became an analyst with the Brewers, he was able to speak with other teams about taking their openings when his contract expires after the 2023 season.

New York was able to get their guy, signing Stearns to a five-year contract according to USA TODAY's MLB Insider Bob Nightengale.

With a new president of baseball operations at the helm, the Mets will be looking to turn themselves into true World Series contenders after their flop of a season this year.

To do that, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the front office could look to move their superstar slugger.

"One of Stearns' first orders of business will be assessing the trade market for first baseman Pete Alonso, who is set to hit free agency following the 2024 season," he writes.

The 38-year-old executive has made blockbuster trades in the past, most notably when he sent four prospects to the Miami Marlins for Christian Yelich in 2018, who went on to win NL MVP that next season.

Trading Alonso would certainly be met with resistance, since the slugger has become one of the best power hitters in baseball after being drafted by New York in 2016.

However, the return they could potentially get might be too good to pass up.

During his tenure with the Brewers, Stearns was able to develop Major League talent from their prospect pipeline, something New York wants to do.

"Though the Mets' plan is to pare back from the record half-billion-dollar payroll they carried into the 2023 season, they'll remain among the highest-spending teams in MLB and plan to accelerate their financial commitment as the next wave of prospects ascends in 2025 and beyond," Passan writes about the franchise's strategy going forward.

Ultimately, their desire to trade Alonso depends on the market. Stearns won't just deal him to deal him.

But with a new executive in charge, the superstar slugger could be on his way out of town.