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Following the news that the New York Mets expect Pete Alonso to sign elsewhere, they find themselves pivoting to plan a future without their homegrown slugger. With many of the remaining free agent hitters looking for contracts similar to Alonso, re-signing Jose Iglesias on a team-friendly deal makes sense for the team Stearns is trying to build.
Jose Iglesias earned another chance with the Mets
Jose Iglesias defied all odds in 2024 after being out of baseball for an entire year. At 34-years old he posted a career high 3.1 WAR, outpacing Alonso's 2.6 WAR while playing nearly half the amount of games. We all witnessed the effect that "OMG" had on the clubhouse and the grip it had on the fanbase, but what gets understated is how Iglesias single handedly carried the team to the playoffs down the stretch.
With a fleeting one game lead for the last wildcard spot the Mets entered a gauntlet, facing playoff teams in 13 of the final 16 contests. Not to mention 10 of the final 16 games were without their MVP candidate, Francisco Lindor. Iglesias proceeded to play out of his mind, slashing .397/.414/ .471. and accumulating 27 hits while striking out only eight times in the final 16 games.
Pete Alonso is projected to have a 2.7 WAR season in 2025, while free agent acquisitions Juan Soto and Jose Siri are projected to combine for 8.2 WAR. If Pete decides to walk, the Mets managed to increase their projected WAR by +5.5. Add in Jose Iglesias and it becomes +7, while offering positional versatility in the infield at a fraction of the cost.
The 2025 Mets current roster is already stronger than last season's. According to Fangraphs the Mets have the 4th highest projected team WAR for 2025 only behind the Dodgers, Yankees, and Braves. Even without a set plan for the corner infield positions, the Mets still are poised to be one of the best teams in baseball, with or without Pete Alonso.
Earlier this week Phillies right-fielder Nick Castellanos went on Chris Rose's podcast and went viral for saying "The way I look at baseball, Jose Iglesias is the unanimous National League MVP." While this is an absurd take, even for the most passionate Met fans, what he did for Mets both on and off the field in 2024 forever cemented his place in Mets lore and is well deserving of another year Queens.