A contingent of more than 50 Mets players, coaches, front-office members and alumni will come together Saturday for a fan fest. Also in attendance at Amazin Day will be the elephant ( ) in the room. Pete Alonsos absence will hang over the proceedings as the slugger, and one of the faces of the franchise, remains unclaimed in free agency, with rumors swirling concerning the Blue Jays. The Mets have made offers but not yet reached the asking price for Alonso, who is down to just a few suitors as many other clubs have pounced on different first basemen. Pete Alonso remains a huge question mark as his free agency lingers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Without Alonso, the Mets would lose an invaluable clubhouse presence who has been a leader since arriving in 2019. Explore More And , they would have to replace a strong lineup presence who has slugged more home runs than anyone except Aaron Judge since his call-up. At the Citi Field gathering, owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns are expected to speak to fans as part of a panel, although neither is set to directly answer questions from media. David Stearns and Steve Cohen have plenty of questions to answer. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post That duty largely will fall upon manager Carlos Mendoza, who will be faced with queries such as: If not Alonso, whos the first baseman? Would Mark Vientos, who played a pa sable but not excellent third base last season, move acro s the diamond to free up third base for a free-agent signing or a spring competition? Vientos (and Brett Baty) have been asked to get reps at first base this offseason. Would Mendoza prefer Vientos, who emerged in a large Edmundo Sosa Jersey way last season, continue to learn at third, where his bat is even more valuable? Mark Vientos could be a first base option. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST If not Vientos, would Mendoza want to see Je se Winker a corner outfielder who this week said he is comfortable at first get some reps? Is Mendoza intrigued by Jared Young, a 29-year-old who signed a split deal with the Mets after destroying pitching in South Korea last year? What do the in-house, third-base options look like? New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza looks on in the first inning of Game 4 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Oct. 17, 2024, in Queens, New York. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Vientos is the wild card, but the Mets have a crowded group of promising if unproven prospects behind him. How does Mendoza feel about the offseason for Baty, a former rising star of a prospect who has received chances at the major league level and has yet to hit? Does he expect Luisangel Acua, who looked ready for the moment in September last year, to get a look at third with Jeff McNeil healthy at second base? Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! When will Ronny Mauricio be able to resume his career? The now 23-year-old earned a cup of coffee in 2023, then tore his ACL the following offseason and required a second surgery to remove scar ti sue in late July. Will Mauricio get the green light for spring training? Are the Mets comfortable with their rotation depth? The Mets have the in Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. But they often will use a sixth starter, which is where the questions begin. Sean Manaea returned in free agency. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Paul Blackburn was not available in October. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post How is Paul Blackburn progre sing following an October procedure for a cerebrospinal fluid leak repair? Do the Mets believe there is , a former top prospect who pitched to a 5.19 ERA with the Angels last season? Does the club think Tylor Megill turned a corner during a strong September? Will Jose Butto be looked at as a starter or reliever? Which of the starting pitching prospects has had a particularly encouraging winter? The answers to these questions should telegraph how aggre sive the Mets become the rest of the offseason in adding further rotation depth. Are the Dodgers beatable? The Mets will have to fight for a playoff spot in one of the best divisions in baseball, and yet it feels as if the National League revolves around one team in the West. The Mets fell two wins short of the World Series. AP The Dodgers, who knocked the Mets out in six games in last years NLCS, have the makings of a historically powerful team one that won the World Series and has only grown more loaded. Returning from injury will be Shohei Ohtani (the pitching version) and Tyler Glasnow. Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, among others, have been added. On paper, there is no weakne s. Carlos, how are you going to beat them? Lenny Dykstra Jersey