5 NY Mets roster moves David Stearns would immediately make if the other side agreed

5) Re-sign Pete Alonso to a 4-year deal with a player and team option thrown in there

There’s no scenario where Pete Alonso signs for only 3 years. He’s not going to do that again. No chance. He’ll take a smaller AAV to guarantee himself at least 4 years, if not 5.

Would Stearns actually go to 4 years with him? It’s reasonable enough. If the Mets are going to put a competent lineup out there, they’re going to need a big bat like his to go along for the ride. Landing him for only 4 years would be a win for Stearns and the fans.

Alonso may not be the ideal target for Stearns whose trade of Brandon Nimmo already shows the team is ready to throw sentimentality in the trash can. The difficulty with moving on from Alonso entirely is the team loses way too much offensively. Even if the pivot is to sign Cody Bellinger, first base is a black hole.

The notion of Stearns preferring to move on from Alonso isn’t necessarily true. With the team in the mix for a player like Kyle Schwarber, they’re showing an openness to at least ignore the whole idea of run prevention with one offensive-focused signing.

Coming to terms on a 4-year deal won’t be easy and will probably require another lengthy free agent stand-off. As he has before, Stearns should show patience and let Alonso circle back to him. In the meantime, focus can go on other improvements.