Rumors have been circulating about Pete Alonso's future with the New York Mets — and these aren't the types of rumors Mets fans will want to hear.
During WFAN's "BT and Sal" program on Wednesday, WFAN and SNY host Sal Licata dropped some disheartening news about the prospect of Alonso — who will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season — resigning with the Mets.
"I'm not 100% certain that Alonso is all about being a lifelong Met," said Licata, who also hosts SNY's "Baseball Night in New York" program.
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Licata then went on to note that, from what he's heard, the two teams that Alonso seems to be most interested in once he hits free agency are the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees.
So while it seems Alonso may want to remain in New York after 2024, he'd prefer to do so wearing navy blue pinstripes.
Considering Alonso's impending free agency and alleged desire leave his current team, the Mets would obviously like to get something in return for the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time Home Run Derby winner, rather than letting him walk for free — which is why there were rumors circulating that David Stearns, the Mets' new president of baseball operations, could be looking to trade him this offseason.
While Stearns has since refuted these reports, rumors like the one Sal Licata dropped on Wednesday might make him change his mind.
Alonso has hit 192 home runs since entering the MLB in 2019, which is 15 more than any other player has hit in that time span. Yet, it isn't Alonso's impressive pop that Scott Boras, his new agent, is most amazed by.
"Everybody knows about his extraordinary power," Boras said to ESPN in November. "But the thing about Pete is his durability. You look at the number of players that can post and do what he does, and the other thing is, his commitment to defensive improvement where now he's become a rise in defense where he's at league average and getting better and better every year at that spot."
Alonso made $14.5 million last season with the Mets and will likely make somewhere around $24 million in 2024, depending on arbitration. If Alonso continues to produce next season like he has since entering the MLB, he'll likely demand somewhere closer to $30-40 million per season once he hits free agency.
Regardless of whether the Mets will elect to pay that hefty price tag, it seems that Alonso might still jump ship.
