Pete Alonso Returns To Citi Field With Mets Still Reeling From Their Mistake

NEW YORK — The home dugout at Citi Field still faces the same way. The bullpen in right-center still sits where it always has, and the flags still fly in the same order past the outfield wall. Pete Alonso was supposed to be a fixture in the Mets organization, just like all those parts that make the building feel whole. But New York’s former Polar Bear stepped out of the visitor’s dugout on Monday night, wearing an unfamiliar black and orange jersey, onto a field that he called home for seven years. The Mets fan base stood up for Alonso every time they saw him, and even when they didn’t. They chanted his name 20 minutes before the first pitch, when he was still inside the Orioles clubhouse. They gave him a standing ovation every time he stepped up to the plate. They cheered when he hit a 381-foot fly ball to left field that looked like it was staying fair before it hooked late on the wrong side of the foul pole. They booed when Mets pitcher Jonah Tong walked Alonso instead of serving up a meatball for a home run. There was no shortage of respect for their 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, five-time All-Star and former face of the franchise. Alonso, who returned to Citi Field for the first time since he left for Baltimore, was noticeably teary-eyed during the Mets’ tribute video that chronicled the countless memories he gave the fan base. He tipped his cap to the crowd and tried to lock in for the game. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz could tell during pregame warm-ups that Alonso was emotional. “Seeing everything happen in that quick little snapshot, and then seeing the reaction, the video I know is probably two minutes-ish,” Alonso said. “For me, I blinked, and the seven years went by. It really felt so quick. I’m just really grateful for the years, the experiences, the people. It’s really, really cool.” Alonso could feel the love from the Mets fan base, even if he didn’t receive the same sentiment from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns over the winter. There were two chants at the stadium throughout Monday night: “Pete Alonso” and “Fire Stearns.” Mets fans showed immense warmth — and heartbreak — as they greeted their former franchise hero with loud, sustained cheers that reflected his legendary status in Queens. One sign from a fan in the stands read: “Polar Bear is back in his habitat.” Another sign read: “Hello from the other side,” with a cartoon drawing of a tearful face. Another said: “Wherever you roam, New York will always be your home.” Loyalty and anger. These were conflicting emotions for Mets fans. As much as they loved Alonso, they knew exactly where to direct their ire. “For the Mets, I respect their decision,” Alonso said. “The guys running the team, it’s their prerogative to do whatever they think is best. I respect it professionally. And I’m so stoked to be an Oriole and be a part of this organization.” The Mets didn’t lose Alonso by accident. They made a calculation that his plate production and connection to the fan base could be replaced by someone else. On Monday night, in the building where Alonso became the franchise all-time home-run leader, that same fan base made a statement when they gave the slugger a standing ovation all three times he took an at-bat. It was a miscalculation all along. And, with every passing month, the Mets’ decision to overlook Alonso looks increasingly difficult for them to defend. “To have Pete come in as a visitor, a guy that’s played here for a long time, it was from batting practice, people chanting his name, the video, everything,” Albernaz said. “It was a really cool moment. It shows how much impact a player can make on the fan base, the city. Obviously he’s doing that already here in Baltimore. But to come back, Pete deserves every bit of that.” Alonso is having another productive year. The Orioles first baseman has hit 35 home runs, collected 100 RBI and, as usual, has played in every game of the season. Alonso is one of two major-league players who has played every game since the start of the 2024 season. The other is Braves first baseman Matt Olson. Alonso walked into his old stomping grounds on Monday one shy of 300 career home runs — same as his former teammate, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. “That could be really cool,” Alonso said when asked how meaningful it would be to hit No. 300 in Flushing. “I know Paco is chasing down that same milestone. It would be really cool if both of us could do it in the same game. And if that happens, I think it would be the first time ever. Hopefully, we win the game. If we were to do it the same day, that would be really sick.” Meanwhile, the Mets have failed to replace what they lost. Over the winter, they let their beloved, homegrown slugger walk away without an offer. Alonso went to Baltimore on a five-year, $155 million deal. The Mets subsequently signed infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million contract. Polanco missed significant time, over 77 percent of the season, with injuries, ultimately playing in just 37 games. He hit .148/.201/.230 with two home runs and six RBI. Last month, his season ended with ankle surgery. He played only two games at first base despite being signed with the expectation that he could help fill that role. The Mets’ reasons for letting Alonso walk in free agency were, they believed, legitimate. With Alonso entering his 30s, they had concerns about his age-related decline and the team’s roster flexibility. Stearns & Co. could reasonably believe that committing five years and $155 million to a first baseman whose value is heavily tied to power carried significant aging risk. They presumed his production could be replicated more economically through Polanco for a couple of years before turning to a homegrown product. While those arguments might sound sensible for a smaller-market team with limited resources, they don’t hold up in the backdrop of Steve Cohen’s mega-rich universe. Cohen, the Mets owner since he bought the franchise from the Wilpons in 2020, has a net worth of over $23 million. Two years ago, he signed outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract that’s the largest in professional sports history. The Mets have had a top three payroll in MLB for five consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2026, but that strategy hasn’t worked. Since Cohen took over, the Mets have made it past the wild-card round of the playoffs just once, in their magical 2024 season that Alonso extended when he hit a go-ahead home run off then-Brewers closer Devin Williams in the wild-card series in Milwaukee. On Monday at Citi Field, Alonso called that home run his favorite moment as a Met. “Two things can be true at the same time,” Alonso said. “I’m very appreciative and happy of my time that I spent as a Met. And I’m very — I’m beyond grateful and appreciative for the Baltimore Orioles.” Rather than spending the money on Alonso and keeping a homegrown star and fan favorite in a Mets uniform through his entire career, the Mets front office figured it could spread Alonso’s production across a reconfigured roster. Stearns turned to Polanco to help fill the void created by Alonso’s departure. But the fit was always unusual. Polanco has essentially no first-base experience, having spent his career primarily at second base and shortstop. And he has struggled to stay healthy for a full season. Then, everything that could go wrong did. Polanco battled Achilles and ankle problems all year. The Mets suffered a disastrous 12-game losing streak in April that derailed their season early. Lindor and Soto, two lineup staples who take pride in being available and playing every day, missed significant time with injuries. By the time the roster was healthy and whole, the Mets season was lost. The hole they dug themselves into in the first half of the season proved too enormous to escape. Fittingly, Alonso’s Orioles officially eliminated the Mets from postseason contention with their 2-1 win in the series opener on Monday. “I hate to say it,” Alonso said of his former team’s disappointing season. “But it happens.” Like Alonso said, two things can be true. The Mets may have been right to worry about the back end of a long-term Alonso contract. And they were wrong to underestimate how difficult it would be to replace the front end of all that Alonso gave them. Alonso gave New York a known quantity. He showed up, played every day, occupied the middle of the lineup and provided exceptional power. The Mets replaced that certainty with a collection of assumptions about roster flexibility, health, Polanco’s bat, and other internal production that didn’t show up until it was too late. And now, with Alonso getting showered with love and admiration from the Mets fan base, as he’s tied for the American League lead in RBI while flashing an OPS of .863, with the Mets eliminated from the playoffs for the second straight year, the opportunity cost is impossible to ignore. Ironically, the Mets may eventually have to spend big again to recreate the production they already had, and all that Alonso gave them. Even if Cohen, Stearns, and the rest of Mets upper management eventually learn from the mistake of letting Alonso go, the reaction from the crowd on Monday was telling. He will always mean a great deal to them. Just as much as the city means to Alonso. “New York is always going to feel like some sort of homecoming,” Alonso said. “For me, the city is really special. It’s all special, professionally, and with life and family ties. I feel very fortunate that I’ve represented the Mets for the time that I did.”