No, the Mets should not trade Pete Alonso if the DH leaves in 2021

Can you believe some New York Mets fans are willing to trade Pete Alonso if there’s no DH in 2021?

Major League Baseball has yet to decide on the fate of the designated hitter for the 2021 season. One team aching to know more than any other is the New York Mets. The team is built to employ a lineup with a variety of DH options next year. Without the availability, things can get a little clustered.

An idea some hot-take-loving fans have proposed on social media is to trade Pete Alonso. He’s in the doghouse right now while Dominic Smith has become the golden child at first base. Alonso’s poor 2020 season mixed with his below-average defense has made him second on the depth chart inside the minds of some that root for the blue and orange.

Because the Mets couldn’t possibly work with a roster that has Alonso and Smith on it (I write sarcastically), the only option is to trade Alonso.

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This isn’t a smart idea. The DH might disappear for a year, but it could always come back. When it does, the Mets might be kicking themselves for shipping out a potential all-time great player in franchise history.

We can trade-happy at this time of the year. Blame fantasy sports or the lack of actual intelligence in artificial intelligence inserted into video games. People love trading players even when it doesn’t make much sense.

I don’t blame people that have thought about the notion of trading Alonso. It’s exciting to swap something old for something new. At this time of year, we know it best. Who honestly can say they haven’t re-gifted a bad Christmas present the following year? You’re a liar if you haven’t stepped forward.

Alonso is certainly not untouchable. Nobody is. Wayne Gretzky was traded. Anyone could be.

Right now though, without knowing what lies ahead for the rules in the league, trading Alonso is a knee-jerk reaction to a non-issue. Alonso and Smith can co-exist on the same roster. It’s not ideal, but the Mets can make it happen.

Obviously, there’s only one first base which means the only way the two play together is if Smith takes innings up in left field. I think he will regardless of what the DH situation is in 2021. Having the flexibility to move him out there in a time of need is important in today’s game. Smith has shown mild progress at the position. Why not test him further?

If there is one thing the Mets have that they shouldn’t toy with it’s chemistry. We saw this much more in 2019 when the players could regularly get within six feet of each other. This was absent a little more in 2020 but we can blame this on several factors including the shortened schedule which limited the time they could build comradery.

The Mets are in this for the long-haul and decisions such as trading away star players just because he may not fit in with the club the following year are foolish. They shouldn’t hang up the phone on offers for the Polar Bear, but they also shouldn’t do much more than listen to the ridiculous packages other teams have to offer.

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Something all Mets fans know—you can never have enough depth. That goes for every position. The moment this club trades one first baseman is one day before they could use another.