MLB insider Jon Heyman was recently on the airwaves talking about a variety of major topics.
This included a segment called “buy or sell,” in which the analyst is given a list of sentences and he decides if he “buys” the fact or situation described, or if he “sells” it instead (meaning that he doesn’t believe it’s true or will happen).
One of the items on the list was that New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso will be traded this year.
Heyman gave his opinion on the topic and said that while it’s definitely a close call, he sees the Mets holding on to their prized slugger.
The analysis is spot on: Heyman states that Alonso is very popular among fans and teammates, and that the Mets are looking like playoff contenders.
It’s hard to justify trading a 40-homer bat if you are contending for the postseason, and that’s why Heyman believes the team will keep him.
The situation here is that Alonso is a free agent after the season ends.
He recently hit his 200th career homer and is up to eight this year, with a good .800 OPS.
He might strike out a lot, but few hitters in MLB have more raw power than Alonso.
He is in for a very large contract, either before the season ends or as a free agent after the World Series.
If the Mets trade him, they will get a prospect or two in return.
However, they have a very good chance of retaining him with a mammoth contract, so the smart money is on him staying put in New York at least until the season ends.
