The Alonso Sweepstakes: Mets the Final Contender: Other Teams Bow Out, Leaving Mets as Last Option
First baseman Pete Alonso is seeing his market quickly disappear.
The Astros upgraded their lineup on Friday, agreeing to terms with first baseman Christian Walker. With Walker off the market, the Yankees agreed to terms with Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal. The Diamondbacks, needing a first baseman of their own, acquired Josh Naylor in a trade with the Guardians. The Guardians then reportedly agreed to terms with first baseman Carlos Santana on a one-year deal.
Meanwhile, Alonso remains unsigned as the holidays approach. Considered the 13th-best free agent, and the top first baseman per FanGraphs, Alonso has been one of the premier power hitters in the majors since making his debut in 2019.
A four-time All-Star and the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year, Alonso has hit at least 30 homers in every season, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He produced a solid .240/.329/.459 batting line in his 695 plate appearances last year, hitting 34 homers and 31 doubles. He would make an impact in the middle of any batting order.
That batting order may well belong to the Mets. Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Mets owner Steve Cohen said that the team is “still engaged” in talks with Alonso and wants to bring him back. He would be able to slot behind outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor to give the Mets a formidable run-producing trio in the second through fourth spots in the lineup.
Other teams need help at first. The Giants are reportedly willing to trade incumbent first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., leaving a hole in the lineup. The Nationals want to add pieces to supplement their young core; adding Alonso to the middle of the lineup would bring them closer to contention. The Mariners need to upgrade their lineup but may not be willing to spend what it takes to bring him on board as Spotrac projects Alonso to receive a six-year deal worth just over $170 million. Teams may want Alonso, but can they afford his salary?
