After thrilling season ends in NLCS, surprising Mets have `work to do'

NEW YORK (AP) — Yes, the New York Mets have much to feel good about following a rousing run of unexpected success this season.

All those warm fuzzies were warranted.

Now, the cold reality: Pete Alonso’s uncertain future is far from the only priority this winter.

New York probably will have about a dozen free agents to replace — including Alonso — once contract options are decided, and the pitching staff is particularly thin at the moment.

“We might look extremely different," star shortstop Francisco Lindor said.

The good news is the Mets have an owner with deep pockets, an established core that has playoff experience — and perhaps more than $100 million coming off their payroll as they look to build on a surprise appearance in the National League Championship Series.

“We have everybody we need to make this work and finish the job,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.

What was projected as a transition season under rookie manager Carlos Mendoza and first-year president of baseball operations David Stearns, with an eye toward 2025, instead morphed from a 22-33 start into a thrilling October ride that finally ended Sunday two wins short of the World Series with a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York pulled off a string of stirring comebacks under pressure and hit several clutch home runs, creating fond memories that will last forever.

“We became a family. And now we raised the bar," Mendoza said in Los Angeles. “Expectations now, this is what we should strive for every year, to be playing deep into October.”

To do that, owner Steve Cohen has holes to fill on the field.

They start of course with Alonso, the fan-favorite first baseman who was drafted by the Mets in 2016 and already ranks third on the franchise list with 226 career homers in six major league seasons — one that was shortened by the pandemic.

The four-time All-Star, who played in all 175 games for New York this year, delivered in October with a pair of three-run homers to help win elimination games and finished the postseason with four homers, 10 RBIs and a .999 OPS.

“I want more moments like this,” Alonso said. “I'm really proud of what I was able to accomplish here. I feel like I laid it out there every day.”

Alonso, who turns 30 in December, is represented by agent Scott Boras, who often likes to test the market with high-profile clients.

It's difficult to forecast exactly what kind of contract Alonso will get this offseason, but he would seem a good fit for several potential suitors — including the Astros, Cubs, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox and Yankees.

Cohen and the Mets might be more focused on an even bigger free agent fish, outfielder Juan Soto. Or perhaps New York will end up retaining Alonso the same way it did Nimmo and closer Edwin Díaz after the 2022 playoff season.

If not, the Mets could move young slugger Mark Vientos from third base to first and give Brett Baty another shot at third. Touted prospect Ronny Mauricio, who debuted in 2023 before missing this season with a knee injury, also could be in the mix.

New York needs a designated hitter, because Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez can become free agents. Rookie speedster Luisangel Acuña could challenge for playing time at second base, where Jeff McNeil is coming off a rocky season, or in center field, where Tyrone Taylor is eligible for arbitration and Harrison Bader hits free agency again.

The bullpen must be largely rebuilt in front of Díaz, while the late-season rotation probably returns only David Peterson (10-3, 2.90 ERA) and Tylor Megill (4-5, 4.04). Kodai Senga, the team's projected No. 1 starter this season, hopes to regain his All-Star form after pitching only 10 1/3 innings all year due to shoulder, calf and triceps injuries.

“This year has been a frustrating year,” Senga said through a translator. “This offseason I’ll have to look at a lot of things one by one, because post-rehab coming back, things just didn’t click the same way that it did. That’s a fact. In order to get my performance back up, I’ll need to go over this offseason and re-examine things one by one.”

Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA), who blossomed into the staff ace during the second half of a breakout season, shed tears of pride in his close-knit Mets during a clubhouse interview following the season-ending loss.

Still, the big left-hander seems likely to decline a $13.5 million player option for 2025. That would make Manaea, Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91) and Jose Quintana (10-10, 3.75) all free agents. The veteran trio combined for 94 regular-season starts and 10 more in the playoffs.

“If I was an agent, I would be very happy. They made themselves a lot of money. As a teammate, it’s going to be tough because they made themselves a lot of money and who knows where they’ll end up?” Lindor said, referring specifically to Manaea and Alonso. “They’re my brothers. I wish them nothing but the best, and hopefully they maximize everything they want.”

Jose Buttó (7-3, 2.55 ERA, three saves), converted from a starter into a valuable reliever this season, could move back into the rotation.

Top pitching prospect Christian Scott is expected to miss 2025 following Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Sproat is about the only highly touted arm in the upper levels of the farm system.

Stearns, however, has been especially adept at cobbling together quality pitching staffs, not only this season with the Mets but dating to his time running the small-budget Milwaukee Brewers.

Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell are top-of-the-rotation starters available on the free agent market.

“We already have a culture here. We set a precedent," Lindor said. “If you come here to this organization, you’ve got to work. You’ve got to work, you’ve got to respect everybody, and you’re going to be held accountable for every action.”

In the fourth season after Cohen bought the Mets from the Wilpon family, New York led the major leagues with a $332 million payroll and is in line to pay a $96 million luxury tax.

The blueprint since Cohen arrived has been the Dodgers, a perennial winner in a huge media market with a large payroll but also a deep enough farm system to overcome significant injuries.

The resilient Mets looked those injury-depleted Dodgers in the eye during the NLCS and got blown out four times in six games, outscored 46-26 overall while setting a postseason record by issuing 42 walks in the series.

“That should be our goal — not only to be like them, but better than them,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got work to do.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) connects for a grand slam home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) follows through on a grand slam home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates after the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor follows through as he hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 2 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor connects for a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 2 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor connects for a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 2 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hugs owner Steve Cohen after the Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) follows through on a grand slam home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor celebrates with Starling Marte after scoring on a throwing error by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chris Taylor during the first inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Mark Vientos hits a two-run home run during fourth inning of Game 6 in a baseball NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets' Starling Marte reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso reacts after getting hit with a foul ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets react to their loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will face the New York Yankees in the World Series. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek sits in the dugout after leaving to games against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso celebrates a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — Surveying storm damage in North Carolina, former President Donald Trump on Monday blasted federal emergency responders whose work has been stymied by armed harassment and a deluge of misinformation, but he said he was not concerned that the aftermath of Hurricane Helene would affect election results in the battleground state.

Trump was asked whether it was helpful to criticize hurricane relief workers after the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently paused work in the area because of reports they could be targeted by militia. He responded by again assailing the agency and repeating the falsehood that the response was hampered because FEMA spent its budget helping people who crossed the border illegally. That claim was debunked weeks ago by U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., who stood behind Trump as he spoke.

“Well, I think you have to let people know how they’re doing," Trump told reporters in Swannanoa, outside Asheville. “If they were doing a great job, I think we should say that, too, because I think they should be rewarded. ... If they’re doing a poor job, we’re supposed to not say it?”

Trump's campaign and that of his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, are ramping up their campaigns in the final two weeks before Election Day.

Trump had three stops in North Carolina on Monday. After the Asheville area, he held a rally across the state in Greenville and spoke at a faith leaders event in Concord, where he appealed to Christian voters by repeating his criticism of transgender athletes playing on women's sports teams and his proposal to conduct a large-scale deportation operation. Trump said that during his administration, he fought for Christians “like no president has ever fought before.”

Harris on Monday focused her campaigning efforts on the “blue wall,” traveling to suburban Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. She held a series of conversations with Republican Liz Cheney moderated by GOP strategist Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark, a commentary site for anti-Trump conservatives, and conservative radio host Charlie Sykes. Trump won those three states in 2016 and lost them in 2020, and Harris could all but lock up the presidency if she swept them.

Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman who lost her seat after she spoke out against Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, offered advice to her fellow Republicans who are uneasy with Trump but not comfortable broadcasting support for a Democrat.

“You can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody," Cheney said.

Many North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene moved Election Day precincts or changed early voting sites. Thousands of voters remained displaced or without power or water as early voting commenced. Both parties are scrambling to check their turnout operations.

“We’re working every channel we can, you know?” Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, a North Carolinian, said. “We’re going to be doing phone calls. We’re going to be doing direct mail. We’ll be doing emails and digital — basically anything we can do to let people know where to go.”

Despite extensive damage across western North Carolina, Trump said he saw no reason for the storm to cast doubt on the North Carolina election results.

“No, I think in a way, it’s the opposite,” Trump said. “I mean, we’re so impressed, and I think they have a pretty good system here.”

Republican Renee Kyro, who lives a short drive from the devastated mountain town of Chimney Rock, said she knows “plenty of Trump supporters who lost everything,” and others who remain in their homes but don’t have reliable internet or phone connections and may not know their polling location.

“I’ll go door to door if I have to,” she said.

State Sen. Natalie Murdock, who doubles as political director for Democrats' coordinated campaign in the state, said the party has the apparatus to reach their target voters in the disaster zone. Field workers in some of Democrats’ two-dozen-plus offices around the state have engaged in recovery efforts, distributing water and other supplies to residents.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, urged Trump not to "share lies or misinformation” about the storm recovery.

Many storm survivors lost everything, and they want help and truth, Cooper said Monday at a briefing in Asheville.

“We should work together to give them both,” the governor said. “Storm recovery cannot be partisan."

Edwards, who represents Asheville and surrounding areas in Congress, put out a long statement last month debunking “outrageous rumors” that FEMA was halting trucks from bringing in supplies, abandoning rescue efforts to bulldoze Chimney Rock, running out of money and more. He did not defend FEMA from Trump’s criticism Monday.

Instead, Edwards, who owns McDonald’s franchises, presented Trump with what he called a “French fry certification pin" in a nod to the former president's photo opportunity Sunday at one of the fast-food restaurants.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Trump's FEMA comments “dangerous” and said they had been debunked on a bipartisan basis. She said 5,500 federal personnel were in North Carolina and Florida after Helene and Hurricane Milton and noted that $2 billion in federal assistance had been approved for those affected in North Carolina.

“They are dangerous,” Jean-Pierre said of Trump’s remarks. “They are unhelpful. It is not what leadership looks like.”

Even before Helene, North Carolina was all the more compelling because of its history of split-ticket voting. It’s one of the few states that features competitive governor’s races concurrent with presidential contests.

Democrats have carried the presidential electoral vote just once since 1992 — in Barack Obama's narrow win in 2008. Republicans have won just one governor’s race in the same span. Four years ago, Cooper won reelection by 4.5 points despite Trump outpacing Biden. He's prevented by term limit laws from running again.

Democrats hope Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson’s latest struggles, centered on CNN’s revelations that the state's first Black lieutenant governor once called himself a “Black Nazi” and posted lascivious statements on a porn website, turn thousands of Cooper-Trump voters into supporters of Harris and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein. Robinson has denied the allegations and sued CNN, calling its report defamatory.

Trump demurred Monday when asked whether voters should support Robinson, whom Trump has endorsed and has referred to as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

“I’m not familiar with the state of the race right now,” he said. “I haven’t seen it.”

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, Colleen Long in Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gestures during a town hall at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Williams Arena at Mignes Coliseum, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the damage and federal response to Hurricane Helene, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney listens during a town hall at The People's Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a town hall at The People's Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a town hall at The People's Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a town hall at The People's Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens to others after delivering remarks on the damage and federal response to Hurricane Helene, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a town hall at The People's Light in Malvern, Pa., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump prays with Mike Stewart, owner of Pine View Buildings, and others, after delivering remarks on the damage and federal response to Hurricane Helene, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a campaign rally at Williams Arena at Mignes Coliseum, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a town hall at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the damage and federal response to Hurricane Helene, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Supporters for Vice President Kamala Harris, Juliette Delgado, left, and Toni Mangan, both of Rutherford County, outside the Rutherford County Annex Building, where early voting was taking place, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Douglas MacDonald, of Rutherfordton, attaches a flag to the back of his car at the Rutherford County Annex Building where early voting was taking place, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Outside the Rutherford County Annex Building where early voting is taking place, Susan McGowan waves a United States flag in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, Thursday, October 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Former President Trump supporter, Tyler Schultz of Rutherfordton signs the tour bus during the Team Trump bus tour across North Carolina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Governor Kristi Noel (SD), third from left, talks with Trump supporter, Tom Dodgen of Rutherfordton, left, at the Team Trump bus tour across North Carolina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Trump supporter, Renee Kyro of Lake Lure, North Carolina at the Team Trump bus tour across North Carolina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in Rutherfordton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)