David Stearns, the Mets president of baseball operations, acknowledged on Monday that parting ways with Pete Alonso, the team's all-time home run leader, after last season may not have been the best decision. Alonso recorded 43 home runs and an .884 OPS this season while playing for the Orioles, as the Mets faced challenges at first base.
In a season wrap-up, Stearns was asked if he would approach the situation differently regarding Alonso, given the current context. "I think that’s a very fair question," Stearns stated. "The truth is, in this job I don’t get mulligans. I also recognize Pete had a tremendous year and the totality of our production at first base wasn’t good enough, and so now it’s my job to ensure that we have got better success across our roster, but for the entire season, better production at first base as well."
Alonso signed a five-year contract worth $155 million with the Orioles after the Mets did not extend a long-term offer to him. His primary replacement, Jorge Polanco, who was signed to a two-year deal worth $40 million, played only 37 games due to injuries and did not contribute significantly. Mark Vientos also struggled at the position before Jared Young later provided some stability at first base.
Stearns reflected on the past season, stating, "We try to learn from everything, and I think the entire offseason last year was a learning experience for me. I give Pete an enormous amount of credit. He went out and had a really good year. Throughout the entirety of our season our first base production wasn’t good enough, and now it’s my job to put a group together next year that plays better."