Mets Rumors: 'Handful' of Players to Appeal for Pete Alonso Return amid Trade Buzz

Multiple New York Mets players have reportedly made direct appeals to owner Steve Cohen asking him not to trade first baseman Pete Alonso this offseason.

Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports reported players have said Alonso is a "hard worker and fun-loving, terrific at what he does, handles playing in New York with aplomb, a glue guy of the clubhouse and a special member of the team's core."

Those thoughts run contrary to rumors that Alonso's presence is "toxic" in the Mets clubhouse.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor described Alonso as "one of the best guys in this clubhouse" and the slugger also pushed back on the assertion his personality creates issues.

"I think that anything and everything can be written. It's the age of social media," Alonso said. "For me, the only thing that really matters to me is the respect from my peers, which are the people who I work with every day. And that includes not just players and coaches, but also [media members] who are in here [the clubhouse]."

Alonso has spent his entire five-year career with the Mets, leading the majors in home runs (185) and runs batted in (476) over that span. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season, which has led to some speculation the Mets will look to trade him this winter.

Equipped with by far the highest payroll in baseball, the Mets were a profound disappointment in 2023. They currently sit at 60-73 and spent the deadline unloading stars like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Given his impending free agency and the likelihood the Mets are looking at another retooling season in 2024, it's possible Cohen will look to continue rebuilding the team's farm system and ship out Alonso.

That said, it will be more of a baseball decision than a personality one.