It is conceivable that Baty and Acuña alone could replace Alonso's home runs, which is to say nothing of what they stand to gain from their new center fielder. That is Jose Siri, who hit as many homers on his own last season (18) as the Mets got from all their center fielders.

One, in a world without Alonso returning to Flushing, the Mets may add more pieces. Two, the Mets are at least acting like they care about how much they spend. If Alonso ends up elsewhere, league sources expect the Mets to look for bullpen help and potentially add someone who can provide depth in the infield.