Mets stay quiet on Pete Alonso while searching for pitching help

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The New York Mets do not have plans to meet with Pete Alonso this week at the winter meetings.

The five-time All-Star first baseman, who turned 31 on Sunday, lives about two hours away from the hotel for the meetings in Florida. He is a free agent for the second straight offseason.

“I think Pete knows us really well. I think we know Pete really well,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday, adding that Alonso will “take the time here to perhaps meet with organizations he doesn’t know quite as well.”

Alonso was drafted by New York and spent his first seven seasons with the Mets. After a slow free agent market last winter, he signed a $54 million, two-year contract.

He opted out of the final year of the deal after hitting a career-high .272 with 38 homers, 126 RBIs and an .871 OPS in 162 games.

“As a manager, his ability to post every day … you don’t have to worry about who’s playing first base or who’s hitting in the middle of your lineup,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I think he knows how much we want him, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Mendoza said he’s had intermittent contact with Alonso this offseason. Mendoza remains hopeful they can keep Alonso in Queens.

Stearns stuck to his no-public-negotiations script when pressed on where things stand, but he detailed where he thinks the slugger belongs with the market.

“Pete has demonstrated that he’s one of the best offensive players in baseball, and he’s performed at a high level for us,” Stearns said. “That would be a priority for any team. It certainly is for us.”

Beyond Alonso, Stearns said the team is prioritizing run prevention.

The bullpen upgrades are not finished — even after the Mets’ deal with Devin Williams — and Stearns said they are looking at both free agency and the trade market for help. They also want to add a starting pitcher, though Stearns expressed confidence that the organization’s young arms could play a significant role. Kodai Senga’s strong offseason progress was a major positive for Stearns.

The Mets also are looking for a replacement for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who was traded to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien. Their fallback position would be Jeff McNeil in left field to start the season.

The disappointing 2025 season for the Mets had Mendoza defending himself and the organization on Monday.

On his podcast last month, former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino blasted the organization’s handling of its pitching staff, accusing Mendoza of mismanaging the bullpen, failing to communicate effectively with injured players and not doing enough to protect arms. The Mets used a record 46 pitchers this season due to injuries and performance issues.

Mendoza declined to engage in a back-and-forth with Ottavino, but he defended the organization. Despite the injuries, Mendoza said he thinks the club “was probably one of the teams that protected the bullpen guys better than anybody,” even with limited length from the rotation.

Mendoza also pushed back on reports of friction in the clubhouse involving shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Juan Soto and McNeil.

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“We had a professional clubhouse. Guys respected each other. Guys enjoyed being around each other,” Mendoza said. “We just didn’t play well in the field, and that translated into whatever people call vibe, team chemistry. But at the end of the day, guys showed up, and they respected each other.”

Stearns admitted that clubhouse could look different in 2026. While he would not rule out another big move this offseason, the Mets are looking for more balance this winter.

“I think we’re probably going to make some moves that don’t grab a ton of headlines, that we think are really impactful moves our organization,” Stearns said. “I’d imagine over the course of the offseason, there are also going to be moves that allow you guys to write a lot. And so I think it’s probably a combination of the both, and that’s what we should be doing.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb