Knowing Francisco Lindor would miss at least a few games with a back injury, David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza called an impromptu team meeting before Monday night’s series opener against Washington.
The Mets’ most important player would be out for some of the most critical games of the 2024 campaign, with uncertainty over when exactly Lindor could return. So management felt a meeting was needed to discuss the shortstop’s absence.
And three people ended up speaking at the meeting.
The president of baseball operations.
The manager.
And Pete Alonso.
A few people in attendance spoke about Alonso’s passion. He noted that when he was with the Mets, they were sort of in the running in 2019, but not really. They blew a late-season division lead in 2022, but didn’t know what would become of them until the final game of the season and so never celebrated — and then were promptly eliminated from the playoffs by the Padres. Beyond that, the Mets hadn’t even had a playoff berth in Alonso’s other seasons.
So, speaking for the veteran players and staff who have been there, Alonso implored his teammates. He said he wanted to celebrate, in his words, “with the guys.” So, he explained, it was imperative that the team fight its way to the end and make the playoffs.
It was an emotional way to begin what could be his final homestand as a Met. Alonso is set to be a free agent after this season and Monday’s game against Washington was the first of seven straight at Citi Field, including four against the Phillies.
The Mets have begun to figure out where the heart of their powerful first baseman lies. Now they need his bat, especially with Lindor out of the lineup.
When discussing his playoff run and his future, Alonso said he had a “gut feeling” that everything would work out. Asked if he meant the Mets would make the playoffs or that he would be with the team for a long time, Alonso smiled and replied, “Both.” It’s not, he said, because there have been secret negotiations about an extension. Just, he said, what he wants to believe: “I love this place. It’s a really special place.”
And also because, he explained, he expects to play in October at Citi Field.
But it is essential for this to happen.
Alonso had 32 home runs and a .795 OPS, which are good stats, but for him, it was the lowest OPS of his career and his 5% home run rate was also the worst. So was his .225 average with runners in scoring position. He missed some big hits this year, an absence that didn’t make Mets fans warm to him.
And now the Mets are in a period where many pieces of their roster are down, including J.D. Martinez, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos. And Lindor is gone without any structural damage to the team, but with no clear timeline for the return of their best player and a serious contender for the National League MVP.
That leaves Alonso as the healthy hitter most qualified to change a game or three late in a game.
A highlight or two for Alonso in the final week and a half of the regular season would only rekindle the love affair with the Flushing fan base. Steve Cohen and Stearns don’t seem like the type to get too emotional in negotiations, especially Stearns. But Cohen has made it clear how much he cares about honoring and making Mets history, and Alonso is a big part of that. And he can make himself even bigger over the next 10 days.
Alonso, however, insisted he’s not getting carried away by the free agent’s arrival or that these games could be his last at home at Citi Field. Nor did he say that, more than ever, he needs to be the man in Lindor’s absence. He stressed that he feels “the responsibility” every day, regardless of who’s in the lineup, what kind of season he’s having or what’s next.
“Yeah, this year is not necessarily my norm,” Alonso said. “But, for me, we still have 12 games left and the most important thing I want to do is win and I want to contribute to a winning culture — and this group is fantastic. Whatever happens in free agency will happen. I’m not really too concerned about that.”
Alonso underscored how much he cares about the culture and the team during a locker room meeting Monday, when he delivered an emotional call to action. But the Mets aren’t going to put their money where their mouth is — they’re going to need his bat to speak louder than it has all season.
