Mets: David Stearns Regrets Pete Alonso’s Departure

During the last offseason, the most controversial decision made by David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets, was undoubtedly letting Pete Alonso go.

The “Polar Bear” ultimately signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles this winter, as the Mets were unwilling to offer him a long-term deal.

And for the first time, Stearns seemed to express regret about the situation, hinting that moving on from Alonso after last season might not have been the best plan.

The truth is, in this job, I don't get mulligans. I also recognize that Pete had an exceptional year and that our overall production at first base wasn't sufficient. So now, it's up to me to ensure we have more success with our roster—and, over the course of the entire season, better production at first base as well.

To replace Alonso, Jorge Polanco signed a two-year, $40 million contract as the team's primary first baseman. He played in only 37 games due to injuries and was not a factor in the Mets' season.

Mark Vientos also delivered disappointing results at that position before Jared Young arrived later in the year to bring some stability to first base.

And Stearns knows he needs to learn from this situation.

We try to learn from everything, and I think the entire last winter was a learning experience for me. I give Pete a lot of credit.

Indeed, credit is due to Alonso, who hit 43 home runs and posted an OPS of .884 this season for the Orioles.

But the Mets had him right in their sights.

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