Ron Darling points out Mets’ glaring Juan Soto issue

Life without Pete Alonso has become a reality for the New York Mets.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first announced on Wednesday that Alonso has agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The O's have yet to confirm the signing.

It has been a challenging offseason for Mets fans to wrap their heads around, as three members of their core are now gone. The shakeup began with the longest-tenured player, Brandon Nimmo, getting traded to the Texas Rangers on November 23 for second baseman Marcus Semien. And then, in what can be considered one of the worst 24-hour spans in franchise history, the Amazins' saw their All-Star closer Edwin Díaz ink a three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, followed by Alonso agreeing with that aforementioned five-year contract with Baltimore yesterday.

The Mets are now left scrambling to figure out where to go from here, especially after seeing their all-time home run leader taking his talents to the AL East. Regardless of what they do to address it, a former Met offered this bleak reality about New York's lineup amid Alonso's exit.

Former Mets pitcher and current SNY color commentator Ron Darling spoke on MLB Network at the Winter Meetings on Wednesday in Orlando. He gave a blunt assessment about Juan Soto's role in the Mets' lineup with Alonso gone.

"You've now paid, unless you get a bat, Juan Soto to walk 150 times a year, that's what you've done," Darling said. "One of their young players [Mark] Vientos or someone else that's going to have to step up, maybe they get into the Kyle Tucker race now for a legit bat in the outfield, but these last two days have to be really hard on Mets fans."

"You've now paid, unless you get a bat, Juan Soto to walk 150 times a year... these last two days have to really be hard on Mets fans."

Ron Darling commented on the Mets' recent moves pic.twitter.com/AD9WBqJoTo
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) December 11, 2025

Soto, of course, signed a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets last offseason and had a great first season in Flushing, slugging a career-high 43 home runs and swiping a career-best 38 bases. However, Soto still ended up walking 127 times (which led MLB) even with a resurgent Alonso hitting behind him in the lineup.

The reality of the Mets' lineup is that Soto is now their best power hitter, which could result in him being walked at an even higher rate in 2026 unless New York goes out to find another bat to replace the gaping hole Alonso left.

It has been a brutal winter for the Mets thus far. While there is still plenty of offseason left for David Stearns and company to build a contender again, the Amazins' have a lot of holes to fill between now and until spring training rolls along.

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