First baseman Pete Alonso and the New York Mets will full video games on the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and Wednesday earlier than the Amazins head again towards the Large Apple to organize for Friday’s residence opener versus the Toronto Blue Jays.
Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Alonso just lately spoke about signing a two-year contract that included a participant opt-out following this season to return to the Mets after numerous stories linked him with the Blue Jays this previous winter.
“You must consider what’s introduced,” Alonso mentioned about his free-agency determination. “In fact, you must suppose and speak and suppose issues over. However in the end, this was the very best determination, greatest place and greatest circumstance. Not simply the historical past, however what we’re doing with the longer term. It was a very simple determination.”
Alonso repeatedly made it known earlier than he reached free company that he liked that includes just for the Mets from when he made his MLB debut in 2019 via the ultimate recreation of the 2024 Nationwide League Championship Sequence. However, it appeared to outsiders that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had little curiosity in locking Alonso down through a brand new deal till angry fans let Stearns and workforce proprietor Steve Cohen know throughout an occasion that they needed the “Polar Bear” again.
Cohen in the end acquired the deal achieved with agent Scott Boras earlier than spring coaching started.
“I knew all the things that was happening your complete time,” Alonso mentioned about his free-agency journey. “There was no level the place I used to be at the hours of darkness or questioning. For different those who didn’t take a look behind the scenes, that’s the place they are saying, ‘Oh, it was a loopy offseason.’ No, it wasn’t. For me, I acquired to see the entire course of — I had all the things in entrance of me.”
For the second straight year, Alonso is going through the truth that he might quickly play within the ultimate residence opener of his Mets tenure. The 30-year-old usually acquired loud ovations throughout spring coaching video games held in Port St. Lucie, and the fan-favorite needs to be fairly fashionable amongst paying clients at Citi Area on Friday afternoon.
“You get to take pleasure in it within the second for perhaps lower than two seconds as a result of then it’s recreation time,” Alonso mentioned about what he’ll hear forward of his first at-bat on Friday. “However then, actually, you take pleasure in it extra if you suppose again and replicate.”
Alonso insisted he was centered on taking “care of enterprise right here in Miami first” relatively than on Friday’s contest or his pursuit of the Mets’ franchise record for profession residence runs. The Mets will want a non-pressing version of Alonso on the plate all through the spring and summer season as they give the impression of being to do extra than simply return to the playoffs this coming fall.
