Under owner Steve Cohen, the New York Mets have become one of the biggest spenders in MLB. Their 2026 payroll of $375 million is the second highest in the league, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($420 million), according to Spotrac.
Despite that, the team has recently let some big-time players walk. That includes first basemanPete Alonso. This past offseason, he signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. After seven seasons, his time with the Mets came to a close.
In 97 games this season, the slugger has accumulated 59 runs scored, 91 hits, 21 home runs and 65 RBIs in 361 at-bats. He is also slashing .252/.346/.474 for a .820 OPS.
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
It's the kind of production that the Mets could use, and his departure has remained a talking point over halfway into the season. During the Fanatics Fest on Friday, National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter was on stage opening baseball cards.
The former New York Yankee pulled an Alonso card and couldn't resist pointing out what many Mets fans may be thinking.
"Where's the Mets fans?" Jeter said. "You could use Pete right about now, huh?"
To Jeter's point, the Mets have continued to disappoint throughout the season. At 41-57, they're 11.5 games back from a wild card spot, making hopes of a postseason appearance seem nearly impossible.
While their failures can't all be pointed toward his departure, they've struggled to replace him. That responsibility has been split by Mark Vientos (53 starts) and Jared Young (33 starts), who have gotten the bulk of the starts at first base.
Neither has put up the same kind of numbers as Alonso, as Vientos has a .644 OPS in 237 at-bats, while Young has a .743 OPS in 143 at-bats. As New York continues to struggle, remarks like Jeter’s will only add to the growing scrutiny surrounding Alonso's departure.
