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.

While the sides appear amenable to a short-term structure, one question remains: Can they bridge the gap in finances to keep Pete Alonso in Flushing?