Stearns Reflects on Alonso Decision, Acknowledges Mets' First Base Struggles
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns admits that moving on from Pete Alonso may have been a misstep, citing the team's underperformance at first base.
New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged on Monday that parting ways with the team's all-time home run leader, Pete Alonso, may not have been the optimal decision, especially in light of Alonso's successful season with the Baltimore Orioles and the Mets' subsequent struggles at first base.
Alonso posted impressive numbers for the Orioles this past season, recording 43 home runs and an .884 OPS. Meanwhile, the Mets found it difficult to establish a consistent presence at the first base position.
During his season-ending review, Stearns was asked if he would alter his approach regarding Alonso given the current perspective. "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."
Last offseason, Alonso signed a five-year contract worth $155 million with the Orioles after the Mets indicated an unwillingness to commit to a long-term deal for the first baseman. The Mets had pursued Jorge Polanco, signing him to a two-year, $40 million contract as Alonso's primary replacement. However, Polanco's season was significantly hampered by physical issues, limiting him to just 37 games. Mark Vientos also yielded underwhelming results at the position before Jared Young provided some stability late in the season.
"We try to learn from everything, and I think the entire offseason last year was a learning experience for me," Stearns commented a day after the Mets concluded their 74-win season. "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."