David Stearns' 2-word message may have sealed Pete Alonso's Mets future

These two words from David Stearns speak volumes about whether Pete Alonso might return to the New York Mets.

Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets general manager David Stearns speaks to the media during a Juan Soto introductory press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When speaking with the media after the New York Mets' season ended without making the playoffs, David Stearns was extremely clear about where his roster came up short in 2025.

"From a roster construction perspective, on the run-prevention side of the ball, we didn't do a good enough job of fortifying our team when we had injuries midseason," Stearns said, per a September 29 article from SNY's Danny Abriano.

"Clearly, that was a point in our season where on the run-prevention side of things we went from a very good team to a team that wasn't good enough to maintain a sizable lead; not only in the division, but in the playoff chase," he added. "Our defense wasn't good enough, and that certainly contributed to our pitching challenges... And we're gonna work really hard to fix that going forward, learn from this, and do a heck of a lot better."

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Later on, Stearns said, "The entirety of our run-prevention unit was not good enough this year."

Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Stearns saying, "run-prevention" three different times makes it clear that improving New York's defense will be his focus this offseason.

What David Stearns' "Run-Prevention" Stance Might Mean for Pete Alonso's Future

Multiple players on the Mets didn't produce good defensive seasons. However, the two that were the most glaring happened to be the team's two best hitters: Juan Soto and Pete Alonso.

Soto had a -13 Fielding Run Value (which is a metric that conveys defensive performance on a run-based scale, showing how many runs above or below average they are compared to the average MLB player at their position) in 2025, which was the worst out of all big league outfielders.

As for Alonso, he had a -8 Fielding Run Value, which put him in the 8th percentile among MLB first basemen. It's also the worst Fielding Run Value stat of his big league career.

Pete Alonso with a costly throwing error for the second straight night pic.twitter.com/YX6pMjqmhg

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 19, 2025

Soto isn't going anywhere, given that he still has 14 years left on his historic $765 million contract. Alonso, on other hand, is an unrestricted free agent.

It must also be noted that Alonso had a +33 Batting Run Value in 2025, which put him in the 96th percentile of MLB hitters. This excellent production will surely make many MLB teams willing to overlook his mediocre defensive capabilities when deciding whether to pursue him in free agency this offseason.

But Stearns' repeated "run-prevention" message suggests that he won't be willing to do the same. So, unless New York decides to turn Alonso into a full-time DH next season, this defensive emphasis could be the nail in the coffin of Alonso's Mets career.