Because the Mets haven’t been involved in any sort of controversy in about thirty minutes, we have the story of Peter Alonso toiling in the minor leagues. The Mets have consistently said that they’re not bringing him up this season. It was a line of thinking reiterated today by one of the Mets’ 643,829 general managers, John Ricco:
“To have Pete come up and sit when we looked at it, it just didn’t make sense. As much as we’d love to reward him for the season he had and the work he’s done, we think it’s more beneficial for him to get some rest and see what the fall plan for him will be.”
Honestly, I wasn’t all that upset that Alonso wasn’t coming up this season. September at-bats against September call-ups tell you nothing about anything. I do, however, want to see him be the starting first baseman out of camp as he was drafted as an advanced college bat who was drafted to make a fast track. But the Mets will probably wait until the Super 2 deadline and put Jay Bruce at first base to begin the season. Knowing the way the Mets do business probably spurred Alonso’s agents to release a statement of disdain:
Peter Alonso’s agents Adam Karon and Tripper Johnson had this to say about Alonso, who has hit 33 homers and driven in 111 this season, not getting a major league call-up: pic.twitter.com/dTEVJZzebj
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) August 28, 2018
The agents are correct also. People should be rewarded for performance and effort. Hell, if effort counted for anything in this world I probably wouldn’t be so bitter. But then … PLOT TWIST! Things got feisty as WFAN host Chris Carlin blasted the agents, prompting a response from Alonso himself:
https://twitter.com/PeterAlonso20/status/1034602014808793088
Snap. Snap.
Peter, it's dumb to take shots at the #Mets publicly, and overblow your "historical" achievements when you haven't set foot in the big leagues yet. Handle it privately with management. I have an agent. If he did that, he'd be fired. It doesn't make you look good. I wish you luck. https://t.co/0guWpByr8U
— Chris Carlin (@ChrisCarlin) August 29, 2018
So you're all clear: I hope @PeterAlonso20 does great. Not about him, its about his representation. I can't remember seeing an agent ever do this before, especially regarding a September callup. It's bad business. If they have a problem, call John Ricco. Don't put them on blast.
— Chris Carlin (@ChrisCarlin) August 29, 2018
While I get what Carlin is saying, I can’t help but think that this organization needs to be on blast for things like this. They go through their daily lives thinking they’re smarter than everyone else because they’re picking up players based on value, but it only means they’re being cheap. What are the Wilpons going to do at this point? Trade Alonso out of spite because his agents are engaging in “bad business”? They’re just speaking the Mets’ language.
Trade Alonso? Good luck retaining the last shred of good will from Mets fans that you have left.
Another day in paradise.
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