3 Mets roster I.O.U.'s Steve Cohen can help deliver to the fans after passing on Shohei Ohtani

3) The Mets owe the fans a Pete Alonso contract extension

Letting Pete Alonso walk in free agency after next season will rile up the fans. Another potential scenario could include the team trading him at next year’s deadline if they are out of the playoff race. In either case, the Mets lose a franchise favorite.

Alonso trade rumors this past summer coupled with some more recent ones in the offseason does make it sound like the club would be open to moving on from him. He’s now closer to reaching free agency. His buddy Jeff McNeil got his extension. When does the Polar Bear sign his?

On one hand, it’s understandable why the Mets could move on from him. Alonso could seek a deal worth $200+ million. And if the Mets have already paid the fans back with Yamamoto and Soto, Alonso might not be someone they feel is worth keeping on the payroll. As great and beloved as he is, it’s easier to find an Alonso replacement than it is to have a player like Yamamoto or Soto on your roster locked up.

Just an early guess, the debate over whether to keep Alonso or not could be something Cohen and Stearns don’t agree on. Cohen’s decisions tend to lean more toward giving the fans what they want, but he does tend to give into whatever his general manager, or in this case the President of Baseball Operations, has planned.

Alonso having Scott Boras as his agent suggests it’s a best offer or close to it only scenario to get his signature on a contract.