Pete The Brewer?

Far be it from me to give tonight’s game its proper due. I mean, Tylor Megill wasn’t great, but three runs in 4 and 2/3’s against the Braves in Atlanta isn’t bad when you consider that on the road thsi season his ERA was over 8 and his WHIP is just a hair short of 2.2. So good job, Tylor. You deserved every inch of that participation trophy tonight.

And I don’t want to not give Adam Kolarek his props. Even in a losing effort, it’s important to note that a sidewinding lefty whose career took a hit with the three batter minimum rule was asked to throw two innings tonight (because the bullpen was gassed and it takes Megill only 4 and 2/3’s to throw 95 pitches.) Buck had Kolarek pitching to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley! And somehow, neither one of them hit a ball to Fulton County and the Braves didn’t score a run off him. So good on Adam.

But I want to know what the f*ck went on here:

The Milwaukee Brewers made a significant push to acquire New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso before the trade deadline, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Opinions differ on how close a deal was to fruition, but one thing is clear: Alonso’s future with the Mets remains a major question.

The Brewers, who entered Tuesday ranked last in the majors in OPS at both first base and DH, spoke with the Mets about Alonso before and after acquiring Carlos Santana from the Pirates on July 27. Brewers officials understood they would need to part with at least one of their top five prospects for Alonso. One Milwaukee source said the talks advanced to the point where the teams were within “field-goal range” of a trade.

Okay, but was it a Justin Tucker field goal? Or was it a Dan Mowrey field goal?

So look, I know that everyone is doing their due dilligence on players. Of course if the Brewers hear chatter about Pete Alonso, they’re going to ask about him. There’s no harm in asking. But not knowing what “field goal range” actually means is a little disturbing. Look, Pete Alonso should be the forever player that Don LaGreca almost had an aneurysm about. If someone on another team had at least 35 homers in four of his first five seasons (and would have been all five had it not been for COVID-19), there would be talk of extensions and statues and milkshake commercials. Not “we came within a field goal of trading him to the f*cking Brewers but the kicker was Nate Kaeding so come to Citi Field for Polar Bear Ears Night.)

Pete Alonso was asked about reports of the Brewers talking to the Mets about trading for him:

"I don't know what the future holds, but right now, I'm a Met and I love being a Met. I take in putting on the jersey every day and representing the city of New York." pic.twitter.com/0Sr1Q4ssSg

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2023

Look, I might be overreacting to this, in much the same way that maybe Ken Rosenthal is overreacting to this, because clicks and headlines will always sprout from raising the ire of Met fans. (For example, remember this gem?)  I understand this whole-heartedly. But Buster Olney stumbled into the scoop that Jacob deGrom was leaving, and Olney couldn’t carry Rosenthal’s notepad. So I’ll simply say this …

It’s great to have prospects to build with, much like the Mets have now after the trading deadline. But you need something to build around. Pete Alonso is that guy. He’s a core player. Go look at his comps. There are names like Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Cecil Fielder on that list. (There are also names like Mike Jacobs nad Brian Daubach, but don’t ruin my vibe.) If all you do is accumulate prospects and get rid of everyone who is about to make money, then you’re either tanking, you’re the Wilpons, or you’re John Angelos. None of those options are acceptable.

The good news is that I don’t think Steve Cohen has any interest in being any of those people, places, or things. I also think the right thing will get done at some point. But it’s not at all comforting to hear that the Mets are going to compete in 2026 in the same four week span as hearing that they were within a field goal of trading a young star, even if the person handling negotiations for the Brewers was Cody Parkey.

Today’s Hate List

1. Marcell Ozuna
2. Doug Brien
3. A.J. Minter
4. Joe Jimenez
5. Eddie Rosario