'I love this organization': Alonso reflects as free agency awaits

LOS ANGELES -- As Mets players filtered out of the clubhouse late Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, boarding a bus back to the team hotel, Pete Alonso sat at his locker and added his signature to a bat. At various intervals, teammates and members of the Mets’ traveling party filed over to offer their condolences, to say goodbye.

In a clubhouse full of impending free agents, Alonso is by far the most notable. One of the longest-tenured Mets and part of the franchise’s offensive core, Alonso could be elsewhere by February. He understands that -- even if, in the aftermath of the Mets’ 10-5 loss to the Dodgers in National League Championship Series Game 6, he offered only a cloudy view of the future.

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“Honestly, I’m just really -- yeah, I just, I don’t know,” Alonso said when asked about his emotions entering free agency. “Right now, I’m just kind of shell-shocked that the season’s over, because once you get on this postseason run, you kind of don’t think that it’s going to end.”

Alonso is one of the most significant reasons why the season lasted until Sunday. His go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning of Wild Card Series Game 3 brought the Mets back from the dead, springboarding them into the NL Division Series and, eventually, the NLCS. Alonso stayed hot for the rest of the postseason, homering three more times and reaching base multiple times in each of his final three games.

But it was not enough for the Mets to advance to the World Series. Instead, Alonso’s last act as a Met -- for now, at least -- will be a charter flight back to Queens on Monday morning.

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought of anything [beyond that],” he said. “I love this team. I love this organization. This fan base has treated not just myself, but my family so, so well. Right now, I’m just thinking of the group.

“We’ll see what happens. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But I love New York. I love this team. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special, and the memories that we’ve created together are just -- wow. This is why we play baseball.”

Few players have been in the organization longer than Alonso, the Mets’ second-round Draft pick in 2016. Never considered a blue-chip prospect in part because of his defensive limitations, Alonso nonetheless forced his way onto the 2019 Opening Day roster and became a star, crushing a Major League rookie-record 53 homers his first season. In a clubhouse starved for leadership following David Wright’s retirement, Alonso offered hope. He gained a notable nickname, the “Polar Bear.” Some trumpeted him as a future captain.

Five more productive seasons followed, as well as a pair of Home Run Derby wins that he considers career highlights. Over six seasons, Alonso belted 226 homers, which ranks third in franchise history behind only Darryl Strawberry (252) and Wright (242).

The Mets’ decision to carry Alonso on the Opening Day roster in 2019, however, resulted in him accruing his sixth full year of Major League service time this summer -- enough for him to become a free agent. He’ll be one of many, alongside J.D. Martinez, Jose Iglesias, Sean Manaea (can opt out of his contract), Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and others.

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“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?” shortstop Francisco Lindor said when asked specifically about Alonso and Manaea.

Given Alonso’s tenure, no impending Mets free agent has meant as much to the franchise. But that doesn’t mean his longtime employer will pursue him aggressively. Alonso reportedly turned down a significant nine-figure deal before last year’s Trade Deadline, and he’ll enter free agency off what was statistically his worst year as a big leaguer. He set full-season career lows in home runs (34) and OPS (.788). The Mets also have a potential in-house replacement in Mark Vientos, who just set a franchise mark with 14 postseason RBIs, should Alonso sign elsewhere.

Those are reasons to be pessimistic about the idea of him returning. Reasons for optimism include an October performance that will not soon be forgotten, as well as Steve Cohen’s strong relationship with Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras. As recently as Sunday afternoon, the two spent time talking on the field.

Doubtless, Cohen and Boras will speak again soon. What comes of those conversations could color Alonso’s legacy in Flushing.

“Pete has done so much for this organization right from the get-go,” said one of his longtime teammates, Brandon Nimmo. “He means a lot to the fan base and to this team. We’d love to see him back here, but also going through that process, I understand that it is a business. He will end up doing what’s best for him and his family. He’s earned the right to get to this point -- there’s no question about that. But I think this October has definitely topped it off.”