PORT ST. LUCIE — It’s been a joy watching Pete Alonso play baseball these last five years.
We’ve enjoyed seeing him hit more home runs than anyone since entering MLB, improve his defense noticeably, play hard-nosed ball consistently and bring that oh-so-rare lunch-pail attitude that’s allowed him to log 157 games annually.
Mets fans, go ahead and relish the free-agent-to-be Alonso’s sixth season in Queens because there are no guarantees there’ll be a seventh. I’m not reliving his tenure because this is definitely the end for Alonso. But fans need to be prepared.
Put another way: Enjoy it while it lasts.
There are a couple of vital, Mets-related factors that could easily keep Alonso in orange and blue (more on those below). But let’s face reality, it’s certainly a very distinct possibility this is it for Alonso.
On his first day here in Mets camp, Alonso said a lot of nice things about the Mets, their fans and New York. But what he didn’t say is that he’s hellbent (my new favorite baseball word, thanks Aaron Boone) on staying a Met.
Oh, he had his chances.
Alonso did say he has “definitely envisioned” himself as a “lifelong Met.” But what he didn’t say was that he wants nothing more than to be a forever Met.
Maybe he just doesn’t want to give away his true feelings to aid management in any potential long-term negotiation — and by the way, neither side has initiated anything beyond the one-year deal for $20.5 million they worked out to avoid an arbitration hearing. But I don’t suspect that’s the only reason.
Even if he didn’t say this, maybe he can envision himself elsewhere, too.
Believe Pete when he says he loves it in New York and loves being a Met. But longtime associates say, like many stars, he’s also long looked forward to free agency. That means, dare I say it, he could leave.
They say he’d like to get what he deserves. They say he wouldn’t mind looking around — not that there’s anything wrong with it.
Alonso said a lot of nice things about the Mets. But what he does counts, too.
Alonso switched agents to hire Scott Boras, who’s best known for maximizing free-agent dollars. And let’s face it, even before he hired Boras, Alonso went year to year. He showed little interest in a long-term extension.
Of course, Alonso could stay in Queens. I just wouldn’t count on it.
There’s no reason to believe he won’t at least be a free agent, and there’s no reason to think there won’t be plenty out there for him.
We’ve heard the Cubs like Alonso, and we also know they’ve done almost nothing to enhance their offense.
The Giants could make sense if he can take the wintry Julys and pitchers park.
The Cardinals could work, especially if they can’t retain their own star free agent, Paul Goldschmidt.
The Rangers, Mariners and Phillies could fit, too.
And yes, so could the Yankees.
Our two teams have been kindly neighbors. The Mets never made a move for Aaron Judge last winter, back when they were in spending mode. But Anthony Rizzo’s contract is up, and if the Mets make a move on the much younger Juan Soto, our other local superstar free agent, that could lead the Yankees to poach from their crosstown rival in response.
For sure, this one is unpredictable.
This one could go down to the wire.
This one may depend on Steve Cohen.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. Let’s be real. No matter how much input the baseball guys have, and new baseball president David Stearns surely has as much or more say than most, nobody is spending $200 million plus without consulting the fellow whose money it is.
Stearns’ rep throughout the game is of a brilliant, calculating executive whose numbers generally don’t favor long deals to players 28 or older. He went hard for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who’s 25. Who knows? He might like Soto, who’s 24.
But let’s face it, big-market teams truly hellbent on winning (and I believe the Mets are, at least in the long term), have to consider that a vast majority of star free agents are pushing 30 like Pete, who’s 29.
Stearns’ cool calculations led to four straight playoff appearances in Milwaukee. He made tough choices there (see the Josh Hader trade), but in a brief talk with The Post, Stearns indicated he also understands there are considerations beyond the birth certificate.
“We evaluate every player as an individual,” Stearns said. “I don’t think we’re looking at any one biographical indicator or preference indicator that’s going to set our interest in any particular player. Every player is an individual, and there’s a lot that goes into any evaluation. We certainly recognize what Pete means to our organization and what Pete means to the team.”
That’s good to hear. But the bigger factor, of course, may be Cohen. He didn’t buy the team to be booed out of the five boroughs.
Cohen may ultimately save the day and spend what it takes to retain the beloved, homegrown Alonso. But there’s certainly no guarantee here. As they say, this one could go either way.