The Mets watched another franchise pillar depart on Wednesday, as five-time All Star Pete Alonso left in free agency and secured a five year, 155 million dollar contract with the Orioles. His exit marks the second major loss for New York in a matter of days. Earlier in the week, elite closer Edwin Díaz agreed to a three year, 69 million dollar deal with the Dodgers. This follows an earlier offseason move in which the Mets traded longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo in exchange for Marcus Semien.
Both Nimmo and Alonso were developed internally and had spent their entire big league careers in Queens before this winter, which makes this wave of departures even more jarring for the fanbase. Alonso did not just leave; the Mets chose not to present him with an official offer once it became clear that competing bids in terms of contract length and financial commitment stretched beyond what they considered their comfort zone. The stance is even more striking considering the team handed out a record setting 15 year, 765 million dollar deal to Juan Soto just one offseason ago.
With three cornerstone players already gone, the Mets are bracing for a roster filled with significant changes, and many supporters are voicing frustration about the direction of the team.
Team owner Steve Cohen, who apologized to fans at the end of September after the Mets missed the postseason, addressed those concerns directly on Wednesday.
In a message to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, he said, “I totally understand the fans’ reaction. There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”
Cohen’s comment suggests he believes the organization still has plenty of time to build a roster capable of contending. That puts added pressure on Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns to make impactful additions and adequately replace the production lost with the departures of Alonso, Nimmo, and Díaz. The Mets opened last season on a high note at 45 and 24, the best record in the league at that point, but faded sharply and ultimately missed the playoffs. Delivering a stronger and more consistent performance next year will be essential in restoring trust and optimism among fans.