The Mets’ 2023 struggles were certainly not anticipated by the ownership group and fans alike. The team’s struggles have led to many debates about what general manager Billy Eppler will do at the trade deadline.
Many anticipate that the blue and orange will sell at the trade deadline. The obvious candidates to be gone by the time the Mets play the Royals on August 1st are the veterans on expiring deals, like David Robertson and Tommy Pham.
How far the Mets decide to go when it comes to selling their talent is unknown, but it is being reported that one of the Mets sluggers will be safe.
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Pete Alonso is not expected to be traded
According to Andy Martino of SNY, while the Mets may be sellers at the deadline, they have yet to talk to other teams about specific players and do not plan to talk to teams about Pete Alonso.
Regarding Alonso’s future with the Mets, the Florida native is not set to be a free agent until 2024, and as one league source told Martino, “If they don’t feel like they are going to sign him, the offseason is a better time to talk about trades, because more teams would be involved.”
After being a key contributor to last season’s success, Alonso’s numbers have gone down a bit this year. In 86 games, the 28-year-old has slashed .205/.305/.479 with 26 home runs and 61 RBIs while having a 115 OPS+.
Although there has been a slight decrease in Alonso’s offensive numbers, the Florida native has been excellent defensively. The Mets’ first baseman has a .994 fielding percentage and a career-high 10 total fielding runs saved above average.
What does this mean for the Mets?
It was improbable that Alonso would ever be on the move by this trade deadline, as there had already been previous reports of the Mets taking a hybrid approach in hopes of still competing in 2023.
While making the playoffs in 2023 may seem like a long shot, keeping Alonso around indicates that the Mets plan to try and compete in 2024.