Sunday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers was a brutal one for the New York Mets. Soon, they could face a loss even more devastating.
The Mets were eliminated in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, putting an end to a magical run for a team that few expected to even make the playoffs. But now, the season is officially over, which could mean the end of a six-year run for a Mets homegrown superstar.
First baseman Pete Alonso is set to be a free agent, and he’ll likely cash in big. Spotrac currently projects Alonso for a six-year, $174 million contract, and with super-agent Scott Boras on his side, Alonso could look to push that number up past $200 million.
It’s been a special tenure for Alonso in New York, and he’s also had a special teammate alongside him for the past four years.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor, who signed with the Mets in 2021 and will likely finish runner-up in NL Most Valuable Player voting this season, was unsure whether he and Alonso will ever play together again in the wake of the loss.
“As a teammate, it’s going to be tough, because they made themselves a lot of money … and who knows where they’re going to wind up?” Lindor said (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com), regarding both Alonso and fellow free agent Sean Manaea.
Manaea was great for the Mets this season, but it was also his only year in New York. Meanwhile, Lindor and Alonso have been teammates for the last four seasons, and they’ve seen a remarkable string of ups and downs together.
From the devastation at the end of a promising 2022 season, to the teardown at the trade deadline a year ago, to the wild ride the Mets just concluded, Lindor and Alonso have been the co-captains of one of the most turbulent ships in professional sports.
It’s hard to imagine one of them walking out the door. But that’s the reality of free agency sometimes, and it could well be the reality for Alonso and his Mets family.
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