McMonigle: Mets avoid 'tragic mistake' by signing Pete Alonso

Chris McMonigle had long been clamoring for the Mets to get a deal done with Pete Alonso, and finally, the two sides came to an agreement on a two-year, $54 million deal after months of tense negotiations that were publicly lamented by Steve Cohen.

But now that it's all said and done, McMonigle says the Mets are simply a better team than they were a day prior, and that's why a reunion always made too much sense to not get it done.

"First and foremost, the New York Mets are better today than they were yesterday," C-Mac said. "The Mets are more suited to compete against the Dodgers, Phillies, and Braves in the National League than they were yesterday.

"I don't know how you can look at this lineup today, and you added Pete Alonso, who is - this side of Aaron Judge - the most reliable 30-home run guy in baseball...to not bring him back after signing Juan Soto would have been a tragic mistake."

Now, the Mets have legit lineup protection for Soto, and Alonso will get another crack at having a stellar year to reset his market, which would help the Mets in 2025 if he returns to his 2022 form. The Mets needed a big boost to keep pace in a stacked National League, and now, they can hang with the best of the best, at least offensively.

"It never made any sense, despite whether or not he's on the wrong side of 30 or the perfect fit for what David Stearns likes for his rosters," C-Mac said. "If you're gonna bring in Juan Soto, you have to stabilize this lineup...this is one of the top lineups in baseball with Pete Alonso.

"It needed to happen, and it did."