Unsurprising NY Mets rumors suggest letting Pete Alonso walk, trading Jeff McNeil

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Ragazzo dropped some New York Mets rumors that’ll feed heavily into what many fans already believed could happen. According to a rival NL scout, the team is looking to shake things up in the locker room beginning with the departure of two cornerstone members of the roster.

If the plans follow through completely, free agent Pete Alonso is going to leave unless he agrees to a team-friendly deal. Jeff McNeil, who has been with the Mets for a half season longer than Alonso, will be shopped on the trade market.

In addition to potentially moving on from the pair, the speculation is they’ll sign Cody Bellinger to help in center field and first base. Two positions of need with Bellinger providing them with a defensive boost with an everyday lineup bat to go with it, it’s an exciting approach and probably one of the more acceptable ways to kick off the winter.

The Mets trading Jeff McNeil and replacing Pete Alonso with Cody Bellinger is a practical approach

Anywhere you look, it seems the expectation is Alonso and Bellinger will have similar asking prices with maybe a $20 million difference and a year or two as far as length goes. Completely different styles, Bellinger has already proven himself capable in the tough New York market thanks to his 2025 season with the New York Yankees.

Bellinger’s sudden downfall with the Los Angeles Dodgers feels a little too distant at this point to really be any cause for concern. In the last three seasons, two with the Chicago Cubs and one with the Yankees, he has combined to hit .281/.338/.477 with 73 home runs. His primary position has shifted each season from center field in 2023 to right field in 2024 and finally to left field for the Yankees last year.

First base might be where he eventually ends up spending a significant portion of the coming year if he was to land with the Mets. He’d be more of a placeholder at both first base and center field until prospects like Carson Benge or Jett Williams arrive for the latter and maybe Ryan Clifford is prepared for the former.

Jumping from Alonso to Bellinger presents some irony considering the Yankees traded for “Belly” in a way to replace Juan Soto. Interestingly enough, his presence would help the Mets a little bit if they are able to shed McNeil from the roster, too.

It’s going to be difficult to find a taker for the full nearly $16 million owed to McNeil this coming year. A bad contract swap or the Mets eating a portion of it feels the likeliest way to move on from the longtime second baseman/utility man. The Mets practically ignored moves centered on improving the locker room last year, instead deciding to hand out multiple spots to their young players. Contrasting the results of 2024 versus 2025, it’s not a bad idea to weigh this more heavily heading into 2026.