Sporting a preseason beard, perhaps a symbol for what he and the Mets hope to achieve later on this season, Brandon Nimmo discussed the return of Pete Alonso on Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“So excited,” Nimmo told SNY. “Obviously, I love competing with Pete and have been with him for so many years now, so to be able to bring him back and make him a part of this team, I think it is amazing.”
Of course, after an “exhausting” process, to use owner Steve Cohen’s words, throughout the offseason in regards to Alonso’s free agency, he and the Mets came to an agreement earlier this week on a two-year, $54 million deal to keep the slugger in Queens for at least one more year.
Beyond that, who knows as Alonso has an opt-out after the first year. Regardless, the first baseman returns to the Mets’ lineup that needed a bat like his in the middle of the order, especially after they won the Juan Soto sweepstakes back in December.
“I’m so excited to have [Alonso] in our lineup,” Nimmo said, unable to contain his smile. “It looks great on paper. Now, it’s just getting down to the business of it and getting to work in spring training. I’m excited to see him in a few days and excited we brought him back.”
The Alonso signing likely puts a bow on a successful offseason for New York and leaves very few question marks on their roster.
Alongside Soto, Nimmo, and Alonso (in no particular order) at the top of the lineup will be MVP-candidate Francisco Lindor and breakout star Mark Vientos, making New York’s top half of the order one of the deepest in the league.
And after a remarkable 2024 season that saw them advance all the way to the NLCS, Nimmo and the Mets have plenty of reason to smile.
