The New York Mets signed Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco and traded for Marcus Semien to bolster their infield offense and power hitting.
But none of that will replace Pete Alonso, according to the executives polled by The Athletic’s Jayson Stark.
Alonso was deemed the second-most important player loss in free agency during this offseason, since the longtime Mets first baseman signed a five-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Alonso’s departure was deemed most irreplaceable behind only that of Alex Bregman, who left the Boston Red Sox to play with the Chicago Cubs.
The 31-year-old spent his first seven seasons with the Mets, amassing 264 home runs, five All-Star Game appearances and was the NL Silver Slugger at first base in 2025.
Pete Alonso ‘Owned’ New York
Bregman was deemed the most irreplaceable player by executives because of his veteran leadership and the fact he was a perfect hitter to play at the right-handed haven known as Fenway Park.
But Alonso’s departure was for his presence in the Mets’ clubhouse and the swagger he brought to their organization.
“He owned that city,” said an American League exec. “Or at least the other half of the city — the half that doesn’t belong to (Aaron) Judge. He was a force in that clubhouse, and essentially, every year, starting in February, you penciled in his numbers. You knew what you were getting.
“When you take that out of your lineup, that big run-producing bat, that’s a big hole. That’s huge.”
Some executives polled didn’t even think the Mets made a bad decision by letting Alonso walk while still grading it a tough departure.
“I wouldn’t view the contract as a good value, nor do I believe it will age well,” said one rival exec. “But I do think his combination of power/performance and character are tough to replace.”
The Mets’ Moves Were Not Entirely Panned
Stark’s poll was for the most irreplaceable player but also the best subtractions, and former Mets closer Edwin Diaz was also named one of the most irreplaceable players on Stark’s list. Diaz, who signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, received three first-place votes.
Still, Stark stated the Mets were prominently featured in both categories.
“Alonso was one of five players who got votes for both Most Irreplaceable Subtraction and Best Subtraction,” Stark wrote. “But unlike the other three — Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez — the Alonso votes came from execs who mostly thought his exit freed up a slew of dollars for the Mets to spend elsewhere.”
Three execs stated all the veterans who were offloaded by the Mets shared the tie for the best subtraction, and three more called Jeff McNeill their best move. McNeill, of course, was dumped to the Athletics for the rights to a 17-year-old pitching prospect in December.
Still, what the Mets did with those dollars, signing Bichette along with Polanco, Semien and outfielder Luis Robert, wasn’t exactly popular with those polled.
“Besides all those former Mets who got Best Subtraction votes, they also added four players who were on the Best Subtraction list after they got nudged out the door by other teams: [reliever Devin] Williams, Bichette, Peralta and Robert,” Stark wrote.
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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