OMG Match

BY KEVIN KERNAN

Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Peas and carrots.

And not in the food category: Polar bears and ice.

They all go together just like Pete Alonso and the Mets. OMG.

I’ve been consistent the last two years saying Alonso and the Mets are made for one another and they would eventually patch together a contract.

Some things in life are just made to go together.

Same goes for baseball.

Yes, Alonso seriously overplayed his hand turning down a seven-year $158 million contract in 2023 back when Billy Eppler was running the Mets. That can happen when you listen to the wrong people – and Alonso wasn’t listening to the right people. Someone whispered into Pete’s ear that he was worth much more money. Flash forward to 2025 and now Alonso is represented by Scott Boras. Enough said.

Here we are just past Groundhog Day and Pete is still waking up to the same tune every day. Boras has run into this situation before, just think back to last spring and Jordan Montgomery.

Reports say Alonso recently turned down a three-year $70 million deal from the Mets.

The Mets put out the word they could live without Pete, a direct shot over the bow of the  USS Boras. So here we are today. If Pete were going to move onto another team or even another country with the Toronto Blue Jays, it would have happened by now. The problem is Pete does not want to move on or else he would have already moved on. Maybe he will get so frustrated he will jump to Toronto, a franchise that is lost. That’s a crazy big jump.

The truth is you don’t go out and spend $765 million on Juan Soto like the Mets did and not get lineup protection for Soto. It is so basic and so simple.

Alonso and the Mets were made for one another and by biding their time the Mets will have saved themselves millions.

Alonso is going to come out of this okay, he will have tons of money in the end, so don’t cry for Pete.

The truth is you don’t go out and spend $765 million on Juan Soto like the Mets did and not get lineup protection for Soto. It is so basic and so simple.

Plus, in many ways, the game is already played out … because of so many dopes running so many other teams, in both ownership and the front office.

Take the Pirates for example. How in the world can the Pirates waste the prime years of ace Paul Skenes by not beefing up the lineup by adding someone like Pete Alonso? The answer is simple. Owner Bob Nutting will not spend money. He doesn’t care about winning. He doesn’t care about Pirates fans, a group I feel sorry for because there is no hope for that franchise unless they spend money; and Alonso would be a nice addition to the NL Central and PNC Park.

Same goes for the Reds. Alonso would do incredible home run damage in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, but ownership is not willing to spend the money. I could go on and on naming teams where Alonso would be a plus.

It is so funny because this is an era of front office that overvalues home runs to such a degree that no one in charge cares about strikeouts anymore.

So, what happens? You get a home run hitter on the free agent market and no one, it seems, cares to sign him long term to big, big money.

The Yankees could have jumped all over Pete Alonso but Hal Steinbrenner, as I pointed out in my last column, does not play the money game that his father played. What a move it would have been after the Mets took Juan Soto away from the Pinstripes, Hal could have fired back and signed Pete. Alonso would have fun with that short porch in right-field and would also have fun sticking it to David Stearns and the Mets – if only the Yankees would have played the Alonso card. I’m sure Scott Boras tried, but the Yankees went for a one-year deal on Paul Goldschmidt, who will turn 38 next season and who has been a terrific home run hitter in the past, but Father Time is catching up.

Here are some numbers to chew on: Alonso has played five complete seasons with the Mets, 2020 was a glorified exhibition season, so that doesn’t count. In those five full seasons Alonso has hit 210 home runs, an average of 42 home runs per season.

Over that same exact span, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge blasted 223 home runs, an average of 44.6 per season. I’m just spitballing here, but I’m guessing if Pete Alonso played his home games in Yankee Stadium over that same span, he might have a few more home runs than his 210 total.

And everyone saw the value of the three-run home run last October when Alonso’s ninth inning blast eliminated the Brewers from the wild card as the Mets put on a terrific October run. That three-run home run came against Brewers closer Devin Williams, who happens to be with the Yankees now.

That was an OMG moment for sure.

David Stearns, of course, used to run the Brewers. He did not have the financial freedom that he enjoys under super billionaire Steve Cohen and through the years, Stearns ran through a lot of first basemen on the cheap in Milwaukee.

Here are the Brewers starting first basemen in the Stearns years – full-seasons only, again, not counting 2020 – and their home runs, beginning in 2015 – Adam Lind (20); 2016 – Chris Carter (41); 2017 – Eric Thames (31); 2018 – Jesus Aguilar (35); 2019 – Eric Thames (25), 2021 – Daniel Vogelbach (9); 2022 – Rowdy Tellez (35).

Stearns was able to find first base home run power most years on the cheap, so I am sure that has a lot to do with the Mets strong stance of not offering too many years to Alonso.

But there is more at play here than just home runs. Alonso played in all 162 games last season and connects with Mets fans. He had a down year for him with 34 home runs, but he hit the biggest playoff home run for the Mets.

Alonso represents the OMG Mets. Deep down the Mets know it and deep-down Alonso knows that as well. Again, he is the one who turned down the seven-year deal, so this is on Alonso, but multiple reports continue to indicate the Mets and Alonso are trying to work through their differences.

I also believe Juan Soto will be an enormous influence on Alonso and will get Alonso to calm down a bit in the box and take what the pitcher gives him. And yes, Alonso hit only 34 home runs last season, but he put all that free agent pressure on himself and carried it to the plate with him all season. He also did not have a lot of lineup protection. Juan Soto had Aaron Judge protecting him last season and needs to have an experienced bat behind him this year and going forward.

Soto can teach Alonso to chill a bit and look for his pitch. Let that slider off the plate stay off the plate.

In baseball, anything can happen, I’m aware of that.

Perhaps the Mets are waiting for Vlad Guerrero Jr. to become a free agent next season and that is part of the plan. But that is a big if. Guerrero could wind up the Yankees first baseman next season.

Scouts I’ve talked to believe Alonso will wind up back with the Mets. “It just makes too much sense,’’ one noted. It does.

Don’t overcomplicate this, Mets.

Don’t overcomplicate this, Pete.

Two weeks ago, Alonso did not sign a new deal with the Mets and the Mets put that money elsewhere, signing DH/outfielder Jesse Winker and reliever A.J. Minter. They also added reliever Ryne Stanek, so if they do sign Alonso back, they are a stronger team. There are luxury tax issues but are those really issues considering the money that Steve Cohen has at his disposal – and the Mets will be a hot ticket with Soto at Citi Field and a must watch on SNY.

The Mets are living in a new land now. Last year they became an OMG fun story Mets of 2024 – the bounce back Mets – a team that wasn’t supposed to knock off the Brewers in the wild card; a team that wasn’t supposed to knock off the mighty Phillies in the NLDS; a team that gave the Dodgers a fight, being eliminated in six games in the NLCS. With Soto now, everything changes for the Mets. Way more pressure to succeed.

The Mets are expected to compete with the Phillies and Braves for the NL East title. They are expected to make a deep run in the playoffs. This is no longer the OMG Mets, this is the “OMG, you better win or else Mets.’’

That is a lot of pressure to have on a team – and if the Mets don’t have Alonso and slide Mark Vientos over to first base that will be a big ask.

When that kind of pressure is on a team, the more weapons the better. When that kind of pressure is on a team the more home runs the better. The Mets have entered the Yankees New York world now where big things are expected or else it is a lost season.

Hey Mets, you’ve had a home run hitter at first base who kept up with Aaron Judge the last five full seasons. This season the pressure of playoff success will be there from the first day of spring training because of the expensive addition of Juan Soto.

Despite all the contract problems, the Mets and Pete Alonso go together, now more than ever, if only both sides can see the light. OMG.