Sports analyst floats wild trade scenario for Mets star Pete Alonso

With New York Mets star Pete Alonso all but guaranteed to hit free agency next offseason, WFAN's Boomer Esiason proposed an intriguing plan that would seemingly benefit both him and the Mets.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns reiterated in his spring opening news conference that Alonso will likely play through a contract year and test free agency after the 2024 season. Due to the first baseman's status as one of the league's premier power hitters, his newly hired agent and the looming start to spring training, the odds of a miracle extension prior to Opening Day are slim to none.

"Look, when you have a really talented player, who's really good, who's entering his final year of club control, who happens to be represented by Scott Boras, these things generally end up into free agency and we understand that," Stearns said, per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "This is an organization that's dealt with that before with really good players and has ended up in a perfectly fine spot."

Though many expect Alonso to ride out the final year of his contract with the Mets, the club that selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft, Esiason argued New York should trade the slugger – only to bring him back in the offseason.

"I don’t want to be in that situation where I’m holding onto a guy just because he’s popular, when if we’re out of it and can trade him and re-sign him as a free agent ... that’s what I would want to do," Esiason said. "It comes down to money. Let’s just say he’s having a decent year but the Mets are 10 games out of the Wild Card at the trade deadline ... you tell Pete Alonso that 'We can trade you to a team that may actually win a World Series, but we’re only trading you because we believe it can help our team moving forward, which we’d like you to be [on] eventually.'"

This isn't the first time that Alonso's name has been brought up in trade talks. During the Mets' 2023 trade deadline fire sale in which they dealt co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander – among others – New York also listened to offers on the star first baseman, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Both the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs checked in on his availability, though no deal came to fruition.   

Stearns has routinely preached that the Mets will field a team this season capable of competing for a playoff spot. Despite several low-risk signings of mid-tier players this offseason, however, New York is still far from the best team in an NL East division that features the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. 

Should the Mets fall out of contention early like last season, dealing Alonso at the trade deadline could make sense.

In return for half a season of Alonso, New York could attain a nice bundle of prospects from a team vying for the playoffs. Similar to their trades that respectively sent Scherzer and Verlander to the Rangers and Astros, the Mets could even offer cash incentives in order to attain better players in return.

As for Alonso, he would have an opportunity to compete in the playoffs and help lead a team to the World Series. Once the offseason hits, the 29-year-old could return to the Mets, who will likely be one of the highest bidders for his talents.

"If I’m Pete Alonso," Esiason said, "I’m all in for that."