The New York Mets had a very disappointing season, missing out on the playoffs by just one game after being the best team in baseball back in May. It’s stunning to see how dramatically the team fell off as the year went on. On top of that, fan favorite Pete Alonso is officially heading to free agency.

“After the Mets crashed out of playoff contention with a 4-0 loss to the Marlins on Sunday in their final game of the season, first baseman Pete Alonso said he will opt out of the final year and $24 million on his contract,” MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo wrote.

Alonso has been noticeably cautious all year when asked about his future in New York. That hesitation was clear even during the regular season, when he avoided committing to a long-term future in Queens.

“Playing for this organization, this city – they’ve continued to believe in me. I love playing here. There’s some great guys in this clubhouse, some great people on the staff. Every single day, it’s been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue. I’ve really appreciated it and have been nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing is guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens – I’ve loved being a Met. Hopefully, they’ve appreciated me the same,” Alonso told the media.

However, Alonso could be heading to the Bronx and signing with the Mets’ cross-town rival.

“It’s whether Alonso would be willing to do this to Mets fans. It wouldn’t be quite as much of a Benedict Arnold situation as if he signed with the Braves or Phillies. However, with the exception of Dwight Gooden going from the Mets in 1994 to the Yankees in 1996—with a year off in between for a failed drug test—examples of key NYM FAs signing with NYY have been basically nonexistent. The Yankees do kind of owe the Mets one, though, for outbidding them on Juan Soto this past winter,” Bleacher Report’s Kenny Miller wrote.

Seeing Alonso in a Yankees uniform would certainly be a shock, but it could also be a form of payback. If the Yankees were to sign Alonso, it might push Ben Rice into a full-time catching role.

The Yankees are determined to return to the World Series, and Alonso could be a key piece in making that happen.