LAS VEGAS — To set the scene a bit, the work rooms at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas were eerily quiet Monday as the MLB general manager meetings got underway. Members of the media, team personnel and even league personnel haven’t been immune to the air traffic troubles plaguing the United States due to the government shutdown. Rarely is Las Vegas quiet, but a slow start is on-brand for the GM meetings to begin with.
While gambling allegations are at the forefront of baseball this week, when it comes to the hot stove season, Pete Alonso is at the center of it all. Mets fans desperately want to know if the team will re-sign the homegrown first baseman, who recently opted out of the second year of his contract to become a free agent for the second straight winter. It’s unlikely anything concrete will be determined this week at the general manager meetings, but with all 30 clubs and all of the top player representatives in one place, people talk.
At the moment, the talk about Alonso isn’t what Mets fans have been hoping to hear. Early chatter suggests the Mets are ready to let the Polar Bear walk. This could be the first big showdown between owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns. His handpicked executive was ready to let Alonso go last winter until Cohen made the final call to sign him to a bridge deal.
Cohen pays attention to what fans are saying and what they want. He understands the fans will buy tickets to see Alonso play at Citi Field. This could be the first showdown between the owner and his top executive, but Cohen isn’t likely to capitulate to the fanbase. Ultimately, he lets his baseball operations team make the decisions they feel are best to put a competitive team on the field.
Most of the time, the executives are unconcerned with the desires of the fans. They simply face too much pressure to concern themselves with what people are saying about their decisions on social media, and loyalty is high with the Mets already.
Stearns understands that he didn’t do enough last season to put together a good enough roster. Poor defense was one of the biggest issues that hindered the Mets in 2025, and Stearns cited “run prevention” several times in his end-of-season media availability.
Alonso’s defensive metrics have declined over the last few years. His -9 defensive runs saved was the worst out of all qualified first basemen last year, and the same goes for his -9 outs above average. While he is excellent at picking balls in the dirt, his throws aren’t accurate and his range is limited. The right side of the field remains an issue with Juan Soto’s defensive limitations.
However, the metrics can’t account for his clubhouse presence as a vocal leader. The Mets also don’t have an in-house replacement who can account for the production at the plate he brings. A perennial 30-40 home-run hitter, they can’t count on Mark Vientos to produce like that. Soto needs more lineup protection than Vientos or Brandon Nimmo.
Alonso will be 31 next month, and reportedly wants a six-year contract in the realm of $150 million. As a top hitter in the game, having job security in his 30s with a long-term contract is only natural. He’s made it known that he wants to win, and after last season, it’s fair to be unsure about those prospects with the Mets. Money seemingly has not been a deterrent for the Mets with Cohen, so it’s not clear if Stearns doesn’t want to sign him to a multi-year contract because of his age, defense, or a combination of both. But people around the Mets have been saying for two years that Alonso isn’t highly regarded by the club’s top baseball ops executive.
If that’s not the case, Stearns can set the record straight. It’s probably not personal for him, but it is to the fans who saw him grow up in the organization.
This week, we should find out if the Mets have made any progress with Alonso and free agent closer Edwin Diaz. It could be easier to lock up Diaz. Still, the Mets’ offseason plans are heavily dependent on what happens with Alonso.
By the end of the week, there should be some clarity on the Mets, but it could be a while before there is any clarity on their specific situation with Alonso.
