Alonso ended up re-signing with New York (two years, $54 million with a player option after the first year), but his presence in the middle of the Mets’ lineup wasn’t always a given. In free agency, as he put it, Alonso and agent Scott Boras received “dialogue from a number of places over the course of the offseason.”

Mets lefthander David Peterson turned in a quality start, allowing two runs in six innings. Otto Lopez homered in the first and Eric Wagaman went deep in the sixth. Peterson struck out nine and scattered three walks and five hits, benefitting in particular from a double-play ground ball in the fourth.

It wasn’t quite the same as Citi Field, but still, loanDepot park had a certain aura percolating the atmosphere as Pete Alonso rounded the bases following a fifth-inning grand slam in Monday night's 10-4 win against the Marlins.