According to Ari Alexander of KPRC2, while the Houston Astros remain actively involved in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, the New York Mets are out of the running. While they were never seen as frontrunners for the start infielder’s services, the fit made sense with Pete Alonso likely heading to a different ballclub this winter. The Mets are not the kind of team that will throw money at anything, they spend a lot but do so for players that David Stearns and his people believe are worth the price of acquisition.
Furthermore, with Bregman looking for a longer-term deal and multiple offers in the 5-6 year range out there, the Mets were never seen as a suitor willing to make that kind of commitment. Tag on the picks they’d lose for signing a player over the Qualifying Offer, and it becomes pretty understandable why David Stearns is putting the brakes on an Alex Bregman pursuit.
Mets Are ‘No Longer Involved’ In Alex Bregman Sweepstakes
The Mets are in the market for infield help, but it does not seem as if Alex Bregman will be their match, as they don’t appear willing to pay him over 5-6 years. There are real concerns about how he would perform in Citi Field, where left field is much less friendly than Minute Maid Park, and the Mets have already spent tons of money this winter. Headlined by Juan Soto, Steve Cohen and David Stearns have made a plethora of additions, but how will they fill the hole Alonso left behind?
A youth movement seems to be the answer, with Luisangel Acuna and Brett Baty being involved in the mix at third base while Mark Vientos moves to first base. Carlos Mendoza confirmed Joel Sherman’s report regarding Baty and Vientos doing first base work over the winter as directed by the Mets, a development that’s undoubtedly linked to the expected departure of long-time first baseman Pete Alonso.
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Mark Vientos will not have to worry about earning a starting job out of camp after the great season he had last year, but Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna will absolutely have to prove themselves. For Baty, this could be his last shot at being on the 40-man roster as he has just one MiLB option remaining, meaning that after 2025 the Mets will no longer be able to option him to Triple-A without placing him on waivers through a DFA.
Luisangel Acuna surprised many with an excellent cup of coffee in the big leagues, and if the Mets can help his pullside power become consistent, we could be looking at a legitimate MLB starter. His struggles in Triple-A were a result of an extraordinarily-high groundball rate, which limited Acuna’s ability to get the ball out of the yard, but if he can hit a little bit then his glove and speed will make him a valuable infielder with some outfield versatility as well.
Steve Cohen has deep pockets, but David Stearns has been hired to ensure that those dollars won’t be spent irresponsibly, and the Mets do not believe that Alex Bregman is worth what he’s asking for.