With pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training this week, it¡¯s that time of the year when we start diving into key storylines for each team.

For the Mets, there are storylines aplenty. After an underperforming 2023 season in which the Mets went 75-87, the club is looking to rebound in its first year under new president of baseball operations David Stearns.

One key to that potential rebound will be a big performance from slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, who is entering his final season before he can reach free agency. In a media session on Monday, Stearns all but said that Alonso will likely hit free agency next offseason.

¡°I think that¡¯s probably the most likely outcome,¡± Stearns said when asked about Alonso¡¯s likelihood of reaching free agency. ¡°When you have a talented player who¡¯s entering his final year of club control and happens to be represented by [agent] Scott Boras, these things usually end up in free agency.¡±

Alonso has been one of the better hitters in baseball since debuting with the Mets in 2019. Since that time, he has crushed an MLB-leading 192 home runs -- 15 more than the next closest hitter (Matt Olson, 177). Among his career accolades, Alonso won the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year Award, he's a three-time All-Star and a two-time Home Run Derby champion. He's never finished with an OPS+ below 122 or fewer than 3.2 Wins Above Replacement in a full season (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign).

Coming off a 46-home run season, the 29-year-old Alonso could be lining himself up for a massive payday next winter if he can put together a repeat performance in 2024. As Stearns mentioned, Alonso being represented by Boras -- one of the more prominent agents and notorious for getting his players to free agency -- makes testing the free-agent waters likely.