The Toddfather is living up to his nickname, and come spring training, the mentoring of Mets slugging prospect Peter Alonso will go into overdrive in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Todd Frazier called equipment manager Kevin Kierst this week and requested Alonso’s locker be put right next to his so the veteran can help guide the rookie first baseman from the start, Frazier told The Post.
“I’m going to be on him because if he is supposed to be our starting first baseman, I am going to make sure that he knows what he is doing and he is going to be on the right track, not just being a rookie, but I want him to understand the rights and wrongs of the game and how to act and how to be that guy,’’ Frazier said of Alonso, who blasted 42 minor league home runs in 2018.
“First basemen are big shoes, that corner spot, we need a bopper over there. I want to keep his head on straight. I’m not saying he is bad or anything, but I want to lead him in the right direction, show him the ins and outs of Major League Baseball. and if I have to get on his case a little bit every once in a while, I will do that.’’
The best teams are policed from within the clubhouse. Frazier, who turns 33 on Feb. 12, was new to the Mets last year. Don’t forget what happened to young Dom Smith. He was late for a team meeting last spring and benched for the first exhibition game.
These Mets must get their act together.
It has been a busy offseason. Frazier and his wife, Jacquelyn, welcomed their third child three weeks ago, a son named Grant.
“Knock on wood, he slept six hours last night, he’s doing good,’’ Frazier said with a laugh.
Frazier’s former agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, is coming off a busy winter meetings, and Frazier offered insight into why BVW has hit the ground running with the trade for second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz, and the return signing of reliever Jeurys Familia.
The Mets continue to chase a trade for catcher J.T. Realmuto and a deal for free-agent center fielder A.J. Pollock, among other options.
“I think it’s good he is shaking up the organization,’’ Frazier said. “We got Robinson Cano, one of the most elite hitters in baseball. We got Edwin Diaz, probably the best closer in baseball last year. Those two guys are pretty special. I think that’s a great start, and I think Brodie is going to keep on moving forward.
“Brodie is trying to be that big dog, and I love it,’’ added Frazier, who will appear at his brother Charlie’s baseball academy, Frazier Baseball, later this month. “We just need to get a couple more pieces added to the puzzle, and I think Brodie is going to do that, and I think the Wilpons understand that and will let him fly.
“He’s going to be a different GM, man. He’s going to talk to the players, he’s going to interact. He asked me, ‘What’s the best way to know guys, to know the team?’ ’’
Van Wagenen is using some of the best scouting reports available to him — the knowledge of his players.
Front offices need to talk more to their players and get their input. It’s not just about analytics, it’s about what the players see as well.
“I love the way he is going about things and talking to us,’’ Frazier said.
At 36, Cano’s age is a risk, but the way Frazier sees it, this deal is a win-win for the Mets.
“I’m a big believer in guys who have been there before,’’ Frazier said. “Trade a couple prospects, at the end of the day how many of those prospects have turned out to be long-term baseball products?
“We got new coaches coming in, we’ve got a good team. I’m not trying to say we are going to be this or that, but my expectations are to be on a good team and see where it takes us.
“It’s going to be a fun spring training. It’s going to be a lot of work for everybody. We know where we need to be.’’
The Toddfather is on the job.