For almost the entire year, the New York Mets fans made their feelings known about the organization not re-signing Pete Alonso. His return to Citi Field wearing an Orioles jersey amplified that sentiment as he received ovation after ovation. The first baseman had a great year in Baltimore while the Mets finished their season last in the NL East for the first time in 23 years. So, when reporters asked David Stearns if he would handle the Alonso situation differently in hindsight, he offered the cleanest acknowledgment yet of the consequences of that decision, emphasizing there are no do-overs. 

“The truth is, in this job, I don’t get mulligans,” Mets president of baseball operations said in a recent interview with SNY. “I also recognize Pete had a tremendous year and the totality of our production at first base wasn’t good enough.”

The Mets had a strong early season in 2025, but they missed the playoffs on the final day. The front office prioritized overhauling the roster and never made a formal offer to Alonso. The Orioles bagged the free agent with a five-year, $155 million deal while the Mets’ $350 million (approx.) roster finished at the bottom of the NL East with a 74-88 record this season. 

New York tried to avoid a long-term commitment to Alonso, and his limitations on defense didn’t help. The homegrown star wasn’t the most effective fielder at first base and offered limited flexibility in other positions. While the Mets focused on run prevention, they let go of a key player who was hitting almost 40 home runs a year. 

The 31-year-old had a stellar season with the Orioles, batting at .267 and an .884 OPS. Meanwhile, Mets’ lineup mainstays Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor spent considerable time on the injured list. And the absence of Pete Alonso was quite apparent for New York. 

Mets fans made every effort to point it out when Baltimore visited Citi Field in mid-September. They welcomed Alonso with heartfelt signs and offered him a standing ovation. 

The frustration was unmissable when they started cheering for their former star to hit his 300th home run instead of standing by their own team. And when he finally did, the crowd celebrated it as if he was still one of their own. 

Alonso topped the American League with 43 homers and 113 RBIs in 2026 while the Mets finished with a -32 run differential.

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The president of baseball ops isn’t necessarily admitting the decision as a mistake, but he is acknowledging the consequences. And he seems to have a clear vision of the path ahead. 

“So, now it’s my job to ensure that we’ve got better success across our roster. But for the entire season, better production at first base as well,” he added. 

The Mets did try to fill the void at first base this season by bringing in veteran Jorge Polanco. But the 33-year-old played just 37 games batting at .148 with a .431 OPS. He managed just two homers and six RBIs over 135 at-bats.

Jared Young showed some flashes with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. But his late-season surge wasn’t enough to pull the Mets out of the pit. 

Almost all the contingencies New York had failed drastically. And the worst part is that even after an entire season, the Mets don’t have a clear answer to their issue at first base. However, David Stearns admitted that they have “an extraordinarily motivated organization, from ownership on down, to ensure that never happens again.” And the roster has some elite players as well. But the fact remains that not a lot worked in their favor. 

However, the only positive takeaway from this is that both Alonso and the organization have only positive things to offer to each other. The Citi Field PA had a tribute video before the Sep. 14 game to honor Pete Alonso’s contribution to the city in the past seven years. The 5x All-Star also praised the organization and the fans during his visit to New York. 

Unfortunately, both the Orioles and the Mets missed the playoffs and now look forward to next season, hoping for better results.