The future of New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is up in the air as he is approaching free agency this winter, and he addressed his future during his media session at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game in Texas.

“I'm super happy to be a Met, super proud to be a Met,” Pete Alonso said, via Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. “It's just been awesome. … I'd love to stay. I don't want to get traded. I love it. It's home.”

Alonso brought up the idea of him getting traded by the Mets, and that seems unlikely with the team winning as of late and getting back into the playoff race. A month or so ago, it seemed possible that the Mets could be sellers at the trade deadline, but now they could be strategic buyers, bringing in bullpen help specifically while not severely hampering the long-term goal of building something sustainable. Alonso went further into how he enjoys playing for the Mets.

“I love being in Queens. It's been such a special place,” Alonso said, via Sanchez. “Some of my best not just baseball memories but life memories have been in New York. It's been almost nine, 10 years. For me, how the fans, the organization has welcomed me, embraced me from Day 1… it's been awesome. … I've grown up in New York. Pretty much all of my 20s I've been in New York.”

It seems like Alonso will most likely be on the Mets through at least the end of the 2024 season, and then we will see if David Stearns wants to keep him long-term or allocate that money to other areas. Alonso addressed the looming trade deadline, saying that the team has to earn talent being added to the roster.

“We got to earn the right to be buyers,” Alonso said, via Sanchez. “I'd love for us to come back and absolutely kill it. We have such a great group. The vibes are great. It's been such a good story collectively because from where we were to where we are, it's been a tremendous group effort.”

With where the Mets are, a tough couple of weeks could result in them becoming sellers, but it seems unlikely. At the very least, standing pat might make the most sense. It will be worth monitoring the Mets' performance over the next few weeks to see what they might do.

Will the Mets keep Pete Alonso in free agency?

Alonso is one of the top free agents this winter, but with Steve Cohen as owner, the Mets are linked to other free agents who could take bigger priority. Juan Soto is the name that sticks out, and the Mets in all likelihood will make a big run at him.

There are also starting pitchers that New York could make a run at, like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried, who would slot into the rotation nicely alongside Kodai Senga, who is hopefully returning from injury soon.

If the Mets prioritize Soto and starting pitching, that could result in Alonso not being retained, as he should get interest from many other teams.