Why did this guy linger on the free agent market?
During his first six seasons, Pete Alonso won a Rookie of the Year award and was named to four All-Star teams. Still, the Mets allowed him to reach the free agent market after the 2024 season.
As late as mid-February, Alonso still lingered there. There was a sense that he would eventually re-sign with the Mets, but the closer it got to the season, the less inevitable the reunion felt. I can understand teams not wanting to give Alonso a lucrative long-term contract. The road to baseball hell is paved with big contracts handed out to older, large-bodied sluggers.
But still, guys who average 40+ home runs a season don’t grow on trees.
I can’t name a free agency that was worse than Pete Alonso’s.
-Turned down $158M/7
-Fired his agent; Hired Boras
-Asked for the highest AAV for 1B
-Then asked for Prince Fielder contract
-Now is sitting sub $100M/3
-Mets and Blue Jays only teams in his marketTruly incredible. pic.twitter.com/2RcXCGCFAO
— Hagen Snell (@HagenSnellBB) January 31, 2025
Eventually, the Mets and Alonso came to an agreement on a one-year deal plus a player option for 2026. And the signing has worked out well thus far, with Alonso leading the NL in both doubles and RBIs.
This makes me wonder if the Phillies should have pursued Alonso. Obviously, they already have good players at both first base and designated hitter, so there isn’t a clear spot for Alonso to play. But Bryce Harper has hinted that he might move back to the outfield for the right player. And it seems like a right-hander with 40 home run power would be the right player. While Max Kepler has had a good week, it sure seems like the Phillies’ lineup would be better with Harper in left field and Alonso at first base.
X-Men character of the series
Havok
In terms of sluggers who play for New York teams, Alonso is regularly overshadowed by Aaron Judge. Similarly, Alex Summers is regularly overshadowed by his older brother Scott. Like most members of the Summers family, Havok is powerful, but there’s always a sense that he’s not truly an A-list star.
Today’s Mutant of the day is Alexander “Alex” Summers A.K.A Havok!
Havok absorbs ambient cosmic energy into the cells of his body and processes it into plasma. This results in control over an extremely powerful sort of destructive force pic.twitter.com/sd1ZjpYnXO
— Daily X-Men! (@DailyMutantsX) June 25, 2024
Additional thought about the series
The first meeting between these teams didn’t go well for the Phillies. This prompted some “The Mets have their number” talk among the more fatalistic members of the fan base. While I don’t put too much stock into one team having a run of success over another, it would be ideal for the Phillies to win this series, mostly because they’re currently tied for the NL East division lead.
This feels like opportune timing for the Phillies. The Phillies are hot, while the Mets are coming in on a six-game losing streak. (This streak comes immediately after a six-game winning streak, so the Phillies aren’t the only wildly inconsistent team out there.)
Currently the New York Mets are NOT good for my mental health:
6-game losing streak looming and it’s been UGLY in every facet. pic.twitter.com/aztx7fs27z
— Casey (@CaseyJ_516) June 20, 2025
The Mets have also been far better at home than on the road. They’ve dominated to the tune of 27-10 at Citi Field but are just 18-20 away from their home park.
As we know, momentum can swing quickly in baseball, but if the Phillies can’t win this series, then maybe there is something to the “Mets have their number” thing.