Abbey Mastracco: Pete Alonso's emotional Citi Field return proves Mets made wrong move

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Sep 14, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Famous (fictional) Baltimore native Omar Little once said, "if you come at the king, you best not miss."

David Stearns missed when he decided to let the New York Mets’ home run king walk to Baltimore in free agency. The Mets’ president of baseball operations missed big.

Never has that been more evident than it was Monday night when the “Polar Bear” returned to Citi Field as a member of the Orioles. The chants of “Pete A-lonso” started during batting practice and picked up again when he came out onto the field to warm up. Never mind that the Mets had an on-field awards presentation for their minor league players and coaches of the year, and never mind that young adult author Rebecca Yarros threw out the first pitch.

They only quieted when the Mets played a video on the scoreboard recapping Alonso’s best moments. Then the chants turned to “Fire Stearns.”

Alonso was a homegrown stud who endeared himself to the fanbase and made himself a part of the community. He became one of the most popular players in Mets history, easily in the top-10, or even the top-5. Alonso was a draw, regularly putting butts in the seats. No offense to Jorge Polanco, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Jared Young or anyone else who has played first base for the Mets this season, but they don’t command the same fan attention as Alonso, and likely never will.

What other visiting player has ever received standing ovations in each at-bat? A phenomenal steward of the organization, a player who could produce in the biggest moments on baseball’s biggest stage, a beloved clubhouse character and someone who plays 162 games a year, Alonso isn’t the type of player you let walk without bothering to even try.

Babe Ruth started his baseball career in Baltimore and became a star in New York. Alonso took the opposite approach, going to Baltimore well after his star power and his home-run swing had been established in New York. The Ruthian road is still the more common one traveled by baseball’s biggest stars, since small-market teams like the Orioles develop talent but can’t afford to retain it.

The Mets have the luxury of being a large-market team with a large budget, one that can afford to retain their homegrown talent. The Orioles only wish they could retain the players they developed into All-Stars. Stearns should understand this as the former POBO of the Milwaukee Brewers, a team that annually trades away its homegrown stars.

But it’s difficult to know what Stearns was thinking when it came to Alonso, and whether he regrets the decision to move on from him after eight seasons in a Mets uniform. He has declined to comment each time he’s been asked about Alonso, a player drafted several regimes ago.

Those who are familiar with his decision-making have said that the Mets were concerned about his age and the natural decline that comes with players over 30. The projections Stearns had didn’t look good. The Mets saw a middle-lineup stud who was already declining offensively and quickly declining defensively. They didn’t think he could get any better at his age.

Alonso proved them wrong by improving nearly every aspect of his game in Baltimore this season. Not for nothing, but the Mets were unconcerned with how Juan Soto would age when they gave him a contract that runs until he’s 40, and he was never a plus defender.

The numbers don’t tell the entire story. They don’t take into account the influence he had in the clubhouse and the entertainment value he provided. Sandy Alderson, the former GM of the Mets at the time he was drafted, told MLB Network on Monday that he was disappointed to see Alonso go because baseball is an entertainment business.

Alderson, who was at the forefront of the analytical movement with the Oakland A’s, isn’t necessarily wrong. Not every entertaining player needs to be signed. Tim Tebow didn’t need to be signed — by Alderson, no less — and there are plenty of others throughout Mets history that didn’t need to be either.

But the Mets should have done what was needed to keep a homegrown fan-favorite who proved crucial to the clubhouse and the team’s success on the field. The Mets got lost in what they thought Alonso would be in five years and lost track of what he brings now. Baseball is played by people and watched by people. Stearns needs a better feel for the people in the Mets’ clubhouse.

The Mets probably should have given the fans some sort of explanation as to why they didn’t even bother to try with Alonso last winter. It’s too late for that now, though. The only thing they can do is learn from this whiff.

Trainer's room

Closer Devin Williams faced hitters Monday and will throw to hitters again Thursday. He’s hoping to return following that next live bullpen, which would mean the Mets would have him for the team’s final road trip of the year. They face the Texas Rangers next Tuesday in Arlington, and finish the season in Washington against the Nationals.

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