Speaking to reporters on Wednesday as he discussed the coming retirement of his No. 5, Mets legend David Wright did a lot of reflecting about his time in New York and his favorite moments.
Like Wright, Pete Alonso was drafted by the Mets and has — to this point — spent his entire career in New York.
And while the Mets are interested in a reunion with Alonso, who — like Wright — has a chance to spend his entire career in one uniform, the two sides remain far apart on a potential contract.
It has been reported that Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension during the 2023 season, and that he has been seeking a massive payday this offseason.
In November of 2012, when Wright was one year from free agency, he signed an eight-year, $138 million extension that bought out his final season of arbitration. Unfortunately for Wright and the Mets, his career would soon be derailed by spinal stenosis, which led to his retirement following the 2018 season.
As a player who was drafted by the organization and spent his whole career with the Mets, Wright was of course asked about the uncertain future of Alonso and how special it is to play for just one team.
Like Wright before he signed his extension, Alonso has been clear about his desire to remain a Met. But, as Wright explained, there is also a major financial aspect involved in the situation.
“It’s a different feeling when you’re drafted, developed, and playing for the team that gave you your first opportunity,” Wright said. “There’s a little more — maybe a lot more — pride when you put that jersey on every night. And I hope he remembers that and doesn’t lose sight of that.
“With that being said, I’ve never, ever faulted a player for maximizing his earning potential and going to try to make a great living for him and his family. I can’t fault him for that. But at the same time, I remember what hit home big time for me was we were in Atlanta towards the end of Chipper’s tenure. And seeing Chipper’s emotion and his words having spent his entire career in Atlanta certainly hit home for me, and obviously playing across town from Derek [Jeter], seeing how much that meant to him.
“I certainly learned a lot from them, learned a lot from afar just kind of following them. What they would say, how they would act, and how much it meant to them to put the same uniform on their entire career. I think that that should certainly be a consideration — hopefully is a consideration to Pete — when he’s looking for his next team or coming back to New York.”
If Alonso and the Mets reunite, he would be set up well to break New York’s all-time home run record this coming season.
Alonso has 226 home runs, third in Mets history behind Wright (242) and Darryl Strawberry (252).
The Mets will retire Wright’s No. 5 on July 19 at Citi Field ahead of the 4:10 p.m. game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Wright will also be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame that day, joining Tom Seaver as the only two Mets ever to have their number retired and enter the team’s Hall of Fame at the same time.
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