Pete Alonso hopes Mets don’t trade him before deadline

Expressing his love for New York City, the Mets and their fans, slugger Pete Alonso – an impending free agent – wants to remain with the team as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.

“I’m super happy to be a Met, super proud to be a Met,” the four-time All-Star said Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, before being eliminated in the first round of his fifth home run contest. “And again, it’s just awesome. I’d like to stay and I don’t want to be traded. I love it. It’s my home.”

Whether the Mets, who have returned to form, are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline — and whether Alonso is traded — will likely depend on how they play after the All-Star break. New York holds the third and final wild-card spot in the National League, going 25-11 since June 3.

Alonso, 29, has played a major role in the Mets’ turnaround, recording 34 hits, six homers, 20 runs and 21 RBIs during that span. For the season, Alonso is hitting .240 with 51 RBIs and 19 homers, a team record in 95 games.

“There’s a lot of things that can happen (before the trade deadline) and whatever management and ownership decide to do is their prerogative,” said Alonso, the Mets’ lone All-Star. “But, for me, my job is to do whatever I can to help win games every day.”

The Mets addressed a need last week by acquiring veteran right-hander Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays to improve their bullpen.

A fan favorite, Alonso was the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2016 draft. He made his major league debut three years later, hitting 53 home runs, making the All-Star team, winning the Home Run Derby and being named National League Rookie of the Year.

In six seasons with New York, Alonso hit .250 with 211 homers and 549 RBIs in 779 games.

“I love this organization,” he said. “I love this city, so I just want to do my best every night for the guys in the locker room and for the fans.”

–Field level media