09/28/26 07:11:00
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09/28 19:09 CDT Mets executive David Stearns on not re-signing Pete Alonso: `In
this job, I don't get mulligans'
Mets executive David Stearns on not re-signing Pete Alonso: `In this job, I
don't get mulligans'
By JERRY BEACH
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- David Stearns doesn't get a do-over. He knows that all too
well.
One day after the New York Mets finished last in the NL East for the first time
in 23 years, the team's president of baseball operations was asked a pointed
question Monday.
Knowing what he knows now, would he have taken a full swing at re-signing Pete
Alonso?
"I think that's a very fair question. The truth is in this job, I don't get
mulligans," Stearns said. "I also recognize Pete had a tremendous year. And the
totality of our production at first base wasn't good enough."
When the Mets didn't attempt to retain Alonso in free agency last fall, their
homegrown franchise home run leader bolted for a $155 million, five-year
contract with Baltimore as Stearns focused on improving the pitching and
defense.
"I think I'll retire the phrase ?run prevention,'" Stearns said with a grin. "I
don't know that that one worked particularly well."
Alonso topped the American League with 43 homers and 113 RBIs, playing in every
game for the third consecutive season as the 31-year-old slugger became the
first player in major league history to win an RBI title in both leagues.
New York, meanwhile, never recovered from a 12-game losing streak in April and
--- despite a record $358 million payroll --- spent all but a handful of days
in last place thereafter on its way to a 74-88 record that marked the club's
worst since 2017.
The absence of Alonso at first base was magnified when lineup mainstays Juan
Soto and Francisco Lindor were both sidelined for long stretches because of
calf injuries.
Soto finished with a .908 OPS, the second-lowest of his career, while Lindor
set full-season career lows with 49 RBIs, three stolen bases, a .225 batting
average and a .733 OPS.
Mets first basemen had 18 homers, 77 RBIs and a .667 OPS --- the third-lowest
OPS at the position, ahead of only Seattle and Arizona.
Alonso received standing ovations from Mets fans before every at-bat during the
Orioles' three-game sweep at Citi Field this month. He took a rare curtain call
on the road Sept. 15, when his 300th career homer tied the score for Baltimore
in the ninth inning and chants of "Fire Stearns!" rang out from the crowd of
28,097.
"This past weekend that we just experienced in Washington, where you are
literally playing out the string, it's miserable. That is a miserable
experience for players, for coaches, for executives," Stearns said during a
33-minute news conference at Citi Field to wrap up the season.
"I think we have an extraordinarily motivated organization, from ownership on
down, to ensure that never happens again."
___
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