Let’s face it, on the Mets’ disaster scale of 1 to Madoff, this is … what? A 2?
Especially since Peter Alonso finally appeared at Citi Field on Wednesday, albeit as a spectator rather than participant, and played nice.
“I am disappointed,” the first baseman acknowledged at a news conference, referring to the Mets’ decision to not promote him to the majors for September. “But not being here, I have to just trust the process. And I’m just going to use that as motivation to get better for next year.”
Absolutely, the Mets should have called up Alonso, on the heels of a 2018 season that brought him here Wednesday to receive his organizational Player of the Year award, and see what he could do. Reward him and the fan base in what has been a somewhat sweet conclusion to a second straight sour campaign. Their stated reason for not doing so, that he wouldn’t have received enough playing time to justify the move, ranks as the silliest explanation entered into society since Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch insisted they met at an airport to primarily discuss their grandchildren.
Nevertheless, Alonso’s Mets journey won’t be defined by this moment. It’s too small. Now it falls on him to maintain his offense and improve his defense and on the Mets to finish his development for either a locker at Citi Field or a trade somewhere else.
“It’s a part of my development to go to the Arizona Fall League because I feel like I need to prove myself out there,” Alonso said. “Some of the best prospects in the game [will be there]. I just want to show I can do that next year, have a good spring training and we’ll see what happens.”
Three bona fide lines of logic place Alonso in Arizona rather than Flushing, and none has a thing to do with Jay Bruce’s, Wilmer Flores’ or Dominic Smith’s playing-time needs. One concerns his service time. If the Mets hold Alonso down until mid-April of next year, they can ensure he won’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season, rather than after 2024.
A second, tangential agenda covers Alonso’s staying off the 40-man roster, creating room for someone else there to block from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. As a 2016 draft pick, Alonso need not be protected this winter.
Finally, there’s Alonso’s glove. As one scout of another club opined of Alonso, on the condition of anonymity, “The guy is a DH. It’s not from a lack of trying — he works hard — but it just isn’t working.”
The Mets opted not to publicly voice any of these lines of thinking, instead going with the playing-time story, because the first two are gauche to proclaim and the third critical of Alonso at a time when he could wind up as a trade chip.
Alonso admitted to being frustrated about his reputation on defense, and he asserted, “Right now, I think it’s a complete turnaround from last year. I just think that I just need to keep getting reps. That’s what the fall league is for. Keep getting those reps in, playing game situations, come ready for 2019.”
He credited Tim Teufel, now the Mets’ minor league infield coordinator, and former Mets first baseman Adrian Gonzalez for sharing their wisdom.
His hitting, of course, has placed him in this controversy. He put up a combined .285/.395/.579 slash line with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, slamming 36 homers in 574 at-bats; he provided the highlight of the Futures Game in Washington with a towering, long homer to left field; and he closed dilapidated Cashman Field, the longtime home of the 51s, with a walk-off blast. The same scout who lamented Alonso’s defense also gushed over his hitting.
“I don’t regret anything,” Alonso said, and that includes his and his agents’ declarations of unhappiness over the snub. “I’ve worked hard. When I look back, I’m happy.”
Former Mets manager Terry Collins, now a front-office special assistant, helped Alonso through his disappointment.
“He just said it happens,” Alonso said.
Plenty of stuff happens with the Mets. If all parties can’t overcome this molehill, then the 23-year-old never would’ve blossomed regardless.