MLB rumors: Mets' Pete Alonso was targeted by Brewers at trade deadline as Milwaukee made 'significant push'

Alonso is nearing his 29th birthday and is a year away from free agency

The Milwaukee Brewers made a "significant push" to acquire New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso at the trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal adds that the two sides have offered contrasting opinions on how close they came to an agreement, with a Mets source disputing a Brewers executive saying a deal got within "field-goal range."

Regardless, the Mets will have to decide on Alonso's future sooner than later since he's scheduled to reach free agency after the 2024 campaign. 

Alonso, 28, has developed into a well-above-average hitter. In nearly five full big-league seasons, he's batted .254/.344/.534 (139 OPS+) with 185 home runs and three All-Star Game appearances. Alonso has shown no signs of slowing down just yet, either. Despite what would be a career-worst batting average (.224), he's on the cusp of delivering his third 40-homer effort as well as his fourth season with an OPS+ of at least 130. 

The catch is that Alonso, for all his merits, is a right-right first baseman. Teams have grown reluctant to commit both term and money to that profile as they age into their 30s. It would be unfair to compare Alonso one-to-one with Houston Astros first baseman José Abreu -- Abreu was about to turn 36 when he signed with Houston this winter -- but his cratering is the kind of worst-case scenario that could give the Mets reason to pause.

The Mets, of course, must also decide on a new timetable for competing. They had an active deadline, shipping out several veterans, including right-handers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. If their goalposts have shifted further down the road, then locking up Alonso might not be as much of a priority. 

As for the Brewers, they ended up acquiring a different first baseman at the deadline, obtaining veteran Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates.