Pete Alonso’s future in Queens has been the topic of hypothesis ever since the first baseman was a minimum of mentioned with different groups previous to the commerce deadline. Since Alonso is a free agent after the 2024 season, there is a risk he isn’t a long-term concern for a Mets group that is taking a point of step again subsequent 12 months, which makes him maybe the most intriguing commerce candidate obtainable this offseason.
That is, if Alonso is obtainable in any respect. SNY’s Andy Martino threw some chilly water on the concept of a blockbuster commerce, reporting that unnamed Mets executives had been “surprised and confused” at the public notion that Alonso will likely be dealt in any respect. The Mets don’t intend “to actively shop Alonso,” and would solely be open to a deal in the occasion of an enormous supply from a rival membership.
As Martino notes, a lot may change between now and the offseason, so this isn’t precisely an absolute declaration that Alonso received’t transfer. Of course, it additionally helps New York’s leverage in commerce negotiations to look as if Alonso isn’t on the market, so as to up the bidding for potential suitors. Given how a lot league-wide curiosity there is in Alonso’s providers, the Mets in all probability received’t want “to actively shop” such a top-tier hitter anyway.
It appears probably that Alonso commerce rumors will persist in some trend both till a deal really occurs, or if Alonso indicators an extension to stay in New York. For now, Martino writes that the membership’s plan is to let Alonso play out the 2024 season after which pursue a brand new contract, as they did with different current pending free brokers like Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jacob deGrom. It is a little bit of a dangerous gambit because it assumes the Mets received’t be outbid for Alonso’s providers, although the membership was in a position to re-sign each Nimmo and Diaz, with the latter locked as much as a brand new deal simply earlier than the free agent market formally opened final November.
All of this might stay theoretical till the Mets rent their new president of baseball operations, who may deliver some new concepts and plans into the group. A brand new PBO isn’t anticipated to be employed till after the season, however some key entrance workplace personnel are already on the approach out. The Mets have parted methods with director of participant growth Kevin Howard (as per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized), director of professional participant analysis Jeff Lebow (in accordance with reporter Michael Marino), baseball growth director Bryan Hayes and efficiency director Jim Cavallini (as per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). It is in all probability secure to imagine that the new hires received’t be introduced till the new PBO is in place, as the incoming president will need some say in putting in their very own workers.
Lebow and Hayes had each been with the Mets in varied roles for over a decade, whereas Cavallini had been with the group since 2018 and Howard since 2021. Howard could be finest identified by informal followers, as he briefly served as the Mets’ interim assistant hitting coach throughout the 2021 marketing campaign earlier than turning to his participant growth place after the season.
In different Mets information, Carlos Carrasco has a minimum of quickly been moved to a reduction position. As supervisor Buck Showalter informed reporters (together with Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News), Carrasco urged the transfer himself, as a nod to throwing solely 49 pitches over 1 2/3 innings in his final begin on August 26. The veteran righty’s final flip in the rotation was skipped, and it isn’t clear when he may begin once more, as the Mets’ rotation plans will likely be shuffled attributable to a pair of off-days this upcoming week.
It’s been a tricky 12 months total for Carrasco, who missed a few month attributable to elbow irritation and hasn’t regarded proper all season, posting a 6.80 ERA over 90 innings. Carrasco will likely be a free agent this winter and New York already regarded into an early parting of the methods by putting him on waivers final week, although since Carrasco cleared waivers, the Mets will stay on the hook for the $2.33MM nonetheless owed in wage between now and the finish of the season.
Carrasco’s struggles and wage made it fairly probably that he wouldn’t be picked up one other group, so September now seems to be to be his closing month in a Mets uniform. He may find yourself making one other begin or two down the stretch, although with the Mets out of competition, the precedence is probably to provide innings to youthful arms as an audition for 2024. Carrasco’s reduction efforts may trace at a brand new profession course as he approaches his age-37 season, but since Carrasco was nonetheless an efficient starter as lately as 2022, he is prone to head into free company nonetheless advertising and marketing himself as a rotation arm.
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