The New York Mets almost didn’t take rookie first baseman Pete Alonso north with them after spring training in March. He was too green defensively, they said. He needed more seasoning in the minors.
Many thought after a monster spring training, Alonso was a lock to make the Mets’ 25-man roster. But there were other issues in bringing him up besides his suspect defense. The Mets didn’t want his MLB service clock ticking yet. If they kept him in the minors to start the season, they would gain an additional season of control on the back end.