Mets legend repeats his hope for slugger Pete Alonso

New York Mets legend Darryl Strawberry spoke with reporters Wednesday regarding his No. 18 being retired by the club in a ceremony held on June 1 and repeated his wish for All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso to remain with the Mets beyond the upcoming season. 

"I just hope he reaches a point, and they reach a point as an organization, and come together to keep him there," Strawberry said about Alonso and the Mets, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "Let him be the player he has been. Let him break all the records. Records are meant to be broken." 

Strawberry previously expressed regret over the fact that he left the Mets as a free agent following the 1990 season. In an Instagram post shared this past fall, he campaigned for the Mets to ensure Alonso will become their all-time leader in home runs. 

Strawberry currently holds the team record of 252 homers, while Alonso will enter this spring with 192 career round-trippers. 

"I hope players break my record," Strawberry said on Wednesday. 

As of last week, there was no indication Alonso and the Mets will sign a contract extension before he reaches free agency after the 2024 season. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns insisted on Tuesday that "the expectation" is that the club "should have exciting baseball in September and October for our fans to be proud of." That suggests Alonso won't be traded before or during the campaign. 

"You just hope they work it out," Strawberry added about the Mets-Alonso relationship. "You leave a guy open like that … they left the door open for me. Yes, I ended up leaving, and I just hope Pete doesn’t leave, because I ended up personally with a belly full of regrets from leaving, because there is nothing like playing in New York. There’s nothing like the atmosphere and the fans." 

Stearns said Tuesday that Steve Cohen "has certainly proved that as an owner he's very capable and willing to" pay proven stars such as Alonso. 

Fans may want the "Polar Bear" to put pen to paper on a deal before pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14, but it looks like everyone will have to wait until the fall to learn more about Alonso's long-term baseball future.