Pete Alonso’s future in Queens has been the topic of hypothesis ever because the first baseman was at the very least mentioned with different groups previous to the commerce deadline. Since Alonso is a free agent after the 2024 season, there’s a chance he isn’t a long-term concern for a Mets workforce that’s taking a point of step again subsequent yr, which makes him maybe essentially the most intriguing commerce candidate obtainable this offseason.
That’s, if Alonso is out there in any respect. SNY’s Andy Martino threw some chilly water on the concept of a blockbuster commerce, reporting that unnamed Mets executives have been “stunned and confused” on the public notion that Alonso can be dealt in any respect. The Mets don’t intend “to actively store Alonso,” and would solely be open to a deal within the occasion of an enormous provide from a rival membership.
As Martino notes, a lot might change between now and the offseason, so this isn’t precisely an absolute declaration that Alonso received’t transfer. In fact, it additionally helps New York’s leverage in commerce negotiations to look as if Alonso isn’t on the market, as a way to up the bidding for potential suitors. Given how a lot league-wide curiosity there’s in Alonso’s companies, the Mets in all probability received’t want “to actively store” such a top-tier hitter anyway.
It appears seemingly that Alonso commerce rumors will persist in some style both till a deal truly occurs, or if Alonso indicators an extension to stay in New York. For now, Martino writes that the membership’s plan is to let Alonso play out the 2024 season after which pursue a brand new contract, as they did with different current pending free brokers like Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jacob deGrom. It’s a little bit of a dangerous gambit because it assumes the Mets received’t be outbid for Alonso’s companies, although the membership was in a position to re-sign each Nimmo and Diaz, with the latter locked as much as a brand new deal simply earlier than the free agent market formally opened final November.
All of this might stay theoretical till the Mets rent their new president of baseball operations, who might carry some new concepts and plans into the group. A brand new PBO isn’t anticipated to be employed till after the season, however some key entrance workplace personnel are already on the way in which out. The Mets have parted methods with director of participant growth Kevin Howard (as per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized), director of professional participant analysis Jeff Lebow (based on reporter Michael Marino), baseball growth director Bryan Hayes and efficiency director Jim Cavallini (as per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). It’s in all probability protected to imagine that the brand new hires received’t be introduced till the brand new PBO is in place, because the incoming president will need some say in putting in their very own workers.
Lebow and Hayes had each been with the Mets in varied roles for over a decade, whereas Cavallini had been with the workforce since 2018 and Howard since 2021. Howard could be finest recognized by informal followers, as he briefly served because the Mets’ interim assistant hitting coach throughout the 2021 marketing campaign earlier than turning to his participant growth place after the season.
In different Mets information, Carlos Carrasco has at the very least quickly been moved to a reduction position. As supervisor Buck Showalter informed reporters (together with Abbey Mastracco of the New York Every day Information), Carrasco instructed the transfer himself, as a nod to throwing solely 49 pitches over 1 2/3 innings in his final begin on August 26. The veteran righty’s final flip within the rotation was skipped, and it isn’t clear when he would possibly begin once more, because the Mets’ rotation plans can be shuffled attributable to a pair of off-days this upcoming week.
It’s been a tricky yr total for Carrasco, who missed a couple of month attributable to elbow irritation and hasn’t seemed proper all season, posting a 6.80 ERA over 90 innings. Carrasco can be a free agent this winter and New York already seemed into an early parting of the methods by inserting him on waivers final week, although since Carrasco cleared waivers, the Mets will stay on the hook for the $2.33MM nonetheless owed in wage between now and the top of the season.
Carrasco’s struggles and wage made it fairly seemingly that he wouldn’t be picked up one other workforce, so September now seems to be to be his closing month in a Mets uniform. He might find yourself making one other begin or two down the stretch, although with the Mets out of competition, the precedence is probably going to offer innings to youthful arms as an audition for 2024. Carrasco’s reduction efforts might trace at a brand new profession course as he approaches his age-37 season, but since Carrasco was nonetheless an efficient starter as just lately as 2022, he’s prone to head into free company nonetheless advertising himself as a rotation arm.
