Having faith between the Mets and Pete Alonso...
The Mets owner made some very candid and perhaps encouraging remarks about the future of Pete Alonso and the Mets on Friday
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
Mark Vientos and Brett Baty will split the reps at third base during Grapefruit League games, Carlos Mendoza said on Friday
Shintaro Fujinami is leaving for Japan to tend to a personal matter, although Mendoza believes he will still be ready for opening day
Former Met Carlos Gómez is attempting to qualify for the Olympics as a cyclist (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Cardinals (0-0) vs. Mets (0-0)
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: RHP Tylor Megill (0-0, - ERA) vs TBD
When: 1:10 PM EST
Where to Watch: SNY
It’s about having faith… ✍️
Yesterday, the Mets debuted their latest iteration of their official podcast, “Meet the Apple,” with Howie Rose serving as its host. His first guest was Mets owner and CEO Steve Cohen and of course the number one topic of the episode was Pete Alonso and his forthcoming free agency.
The simple fact of the matter is, Mr. Cohen gets it, or at least he says he does when it comes to retaining Alonso in the future.
He understands how great he is, understands that he’s on a hall of fame trajectory, understands he’s the most prolific power hitter the club might ever have, and understands his connection to the Mets and the Mets connection to him.
I think he also gets that Alonso - at least in public - continues to say he wants to remain with the Mets, even if he wants to see how other clubs value him when his free agency begins. He has even said recently he has no hard deadline on a new contract and more or less said the door is always open for that dialogue to occur.
So ok, the stars are aligned for Alonso to become a Met for life. Both insist they want it to happen and have made that all public.
As this winter rolled on and there were really no tangible signs of any momentum towards a long-term deal, I grew more worried the two sides would eventually go their separate ways after the season. The Mets for their own good measure continue to be in disarray in that they’ve hired their fifth manager since Terry Collins stepped down, are now onto their seventh general manager (if you include John Ricco) since Sandy Alderson stepped down the first time. A ton of people have come and gone during Alonso’s tenure in the dugout, clubhouse and front office, and not a lot of winning has taken place, either. For a player, or any employee of a company who continues to outlive his or her bosses, it can be unsettling and in many ways disheartening.
And that high turnover rate could be a factor - aside from hiring Scott Boras and all of the other good baseball reasons Alonso should bet on himself - into why Alonso and the Mets will eventually arrive at the juncture of free agency.
I think that’s why it was important for Mr. Cohen to go public and get into this topic in detail. Actions speak louder than words of course but I think Alonso has said all he can possibly say to convince people he wants to be in New York for the rest of his career. But it was equally as important to hear Mr. Cohen’s intentions, as I personally believe it’s more important than whatever Mr. Stearns has to say.
Why?
Well, because Mr. Cohen is the owner and what he wants will eventually fly. He’s also a fan and understands the needs and wants of a fan. He also understands the subjective part of all of this even in a world that immerses him in data and analytics. I’m pretty sure he realizes that in the case of Alonso, this could be equally about the person and his importance to the brand of the team and the connection to the history of the franchise as well as the fans.
Even if it means he is very, very likely to overpay to keep Alonso for the rest of his career.
In the end, it’s going to be about having faith, both for Mr. Cohen and the fanbase. Having faith Alonso truly wants to be here, having faith Mr. Cohen will eventually do what is necessary to keep him in New York forever.
Like it was for Jacob deGrom and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it will be their choice whether they stay or go. Mr. Cohen knows he cannot lose this game with Alonso without having made the most aggressive financial offer for him.
You win some and you lose some. And ultimately, I don’t really know how this will play out. But I suddenly have faith in the Mets that it won’t come down to their own miscalculations.
Hot Stove 🔥
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