Trade, re-sign or both? The Pete Alonso saga continues with the Mets

No matter what happens with the New York Mets this season, one storyline primed to be a focal point with the zoo in Queens is what will happen with their resident Polar Bear. First baseman Pete Alonso will be a free agent at the end of this season and as of right now, there are no plans to sit down at the bargaining table.

Much has been written about the Alonso situation and the New York tabloids will surely spill a lot more ink this season and beyond, if it goes that far. Speculation is rampant with what the Mets will do, with many baseball pundits believing he’ll be traded and others thinking he’ll be re-signed.  

There’s also a third, more intriguing option some have floated: The Mets could deal Alonso before the trade deadline with a plan to re-sign him in the offseason. This isn’t as crazy as it may sound, as there is some precedent for it. In 2016, the New York Yankees sent Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs and then brought him back before the 2017 season. This ended up being a win-win for both clubs, as the Cubs won the World Series and in the deal the Yankees got Gleyber Torres, who’s been a mainstay in their lineup over the last seven years.

Could this work for the Mets? There are two big potential obstacles. First, does the team even want him back? While owner Steve Cohen may say all the right things about wanting Alonso to return, he has yet to put his sizable amount of money where his mouth is.

Perhaps more importantly, how would Alonso feel about the situation? During spring training, he spoke lovingly about the city of New York and being a Met. Would he accept being a pawn in a trade chess game, uprooting his life for a number of months and then coming back like he never left?

Let’s say the Mets become mired in another bad season and decide to trade Alonso to the Cubs, who have been connected to the slugger. Now let’s say history repeats itself and Chicago wins the World Series. Would Alonso want to go back to a team that could still be focused on rebuilding or would he rather stay with a squad that could potentially play for more championships?

There’s also this to consider: What if Alonso feels like he’s not being valued by Mets management? While he (and agent Scott Boras) are certainly after a big payday, maybe Alonso is also looking to go someplace where he will be appreciated. And if a team is willing to give up valuable assets to get him? Perhaps that tells him everything.