Mets legend speaks honestly about Pete Alonso heading toward free agency

New York Mets legend and Hall of Famer Mike Piazza wants All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso to stay with the club beyond the ongoing season but also understands why Alonso remains on track to test free agency this fall.

"First and foremost, I believe that it’s totally his decision," Piazza said about the Alonso situation during a recent chat with Tyler Kepner of The Athletic. "I would never, ever get between a player and what he feels like he deserves. Everyone deserves to go out there and get what they feel they deserve. I mean, people do it in business, people do it in the workplace, and he’s no different."

Mets icon Darryl Strawberry has encouraged Alonso on multiple occasions to re-sign with the only MLB home the "Polar Bear" has had since he made his big-league debut in 2019. For an update shared last week, Alonso insisted that he "would like to stay" with the Mets because of his love for both the franchise and New York City.

"I know emotions are high because he represents a lot to the Mets and rightfully so," Piazza said about Alonso. "He came up here and hit 50 home runs as a rookie. And on the other side, I don’t write the checks, either."

Alonso was the subject of numerous trade rumors before the once-slumping Mets turned things around and inched close to reclaiming a .500 record for the first time since the evening of May 10. As of Monday afternoon, 37-39 New York was one game back in the battle for the National League's third wild-card playoff spot.

"I just pray for the best, and I think a player has to look inside his heart, take everything into account and then make a decision — and don’t look back," Piazza concluded about Alonso's future. "Because I just don’t think you should live life with a rearview mirror."

It remains to be seen if the combination of Mets owner Steve Cohen and team president of baseball operations David Stearns will do whatever it takes to keep Alonso with the organization through the rest of the slugger's prime.

For now, Alonso is doing all he can to stay focused on the Mets' postseason hopes and on the upcoming two-game series versus the 52-28 New York Yankees that gets underway in Queens on Tuesday evening.