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With Spring Training just weeks away, Pete Alonso remains unsigned. The two-time Home Run Derby winner and lifelong New York Met doesn't seem to be on the same page as his former club in terms of contract negotiations, leaving his ultimate destination wide open.
Coming off of three straight All-Star appearances, Alonso brings plenty to the table. He's averaged 43 home runs per year over his career, and that includes a sub-par (by his standards) year in 2024 in which he hit 34 long balls and had a career-low .788 OPS.
The Mets reportedly made him a three-year offer worth around $70 million, which Alonso rejected, but it should paint a picture of the range teams may be willing to offer him. He no doubt would have fetched more had he had a 2024 more in line with the rest of his career, but Alonso also has the track record to argue he's worth more time and money.
A Pete Alonso Mets reunion still makes the most sense
The temperature on the Alonso-Mets relationship has yo-yoed wildly over the last few weeks. Mets owner Steve Cohen gave a brutally honest update on negotiations over the weekend, calling them more exhausting than the team's quest to land Juan Soto.
“We made a significant offer to Pete,” Cohen said. “He’s entitled to explore his market. That’s what he is doing. Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation.”
If the Mets don't end up with Alonso, the plan seems to be to use 2024 breakout star Mark Vientos at first base, shifting him over from third, at least for the year. After that, New York may be hoping to bring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to town and assemble a superteam that can rival what the Dodgers have.
The Blue Jays might not be done after landing Anthony Santander
The Blue Jays finally got off the free agent schneid last week by signing Anthony Santander — and they might not be done, according to Jon Morosi.
“We've heard at different times, names like (Pete) Alonso and (Alex) Bregman earlier on,” he mentioned in an appearance on MLB Network last week.
And it does appear that the Blue Jays are at least pursuing Alonso. Tim Healy of Newsday reported that the two sides are “deep in talks,” though nobody has reported yet that a deal is imminent.
Landing him would give the Toronto lineup three players capable of belting 40 home runs — at least for this year, until Guerrero hits free agency.
Could Pete Alonso helped Mike Trout return to the postseason?
The Los Angeles Angels had been on the periphery of the Alonso sweepstakes, but that may be changing. The slugger met with the club last week, according to Mets insider Pat Ragazzo. Couple that with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal hinting at the Halos trying to make a splash and there seems to be reason to believe this possibility has some legs.
“I believe they are in play for a number of free agents right now, and it’s just a matter of where the market goes and who might want to play for them,” Rosenthal said last Thursday on Foul Territory.
The Angels have notoriously wasted the prime of Mike Trout's career and the entirety of their time with Shohei Ohtani, winning a grand total of zero postseason games since 2009. With Trout in the midst of a series of injury-plagued campaigns, it's fair to wonder how many more years of elite play he is capable of. The Angels need to make the most of whatever that window is (if there even is one) and bringing in another slugger would go a long way.
The Mariners need some more pop in their lineup
Three weeks ago, ESPN's Jeff Passan torched the Mariners for doing nothing to improve their team in the offseason.
“Whatever you want to call it — an unconscionable case of miserliness, a magnificent failure of stewardship or, to keep it simple, cheap ownership — the Mariners are actively blowing one of the best opportunities in baseball,” Passan wrote on January 6. “They have a historically good pitching rotation that is the envy of 29 other teams, and despite a payroll that is a full $80 million below the luxury tax threshold, they haven't spent a single dime this winter.”
Three weeks later, not much has changed. So why not now? Seattle's pitiful offense in 2024 kept one of the game's best starting rotations out of the postseason. First base was part of the problem, with Mariners first baseman hitting .239 with a .727 OPS. Seattle already got rid of Ty France and prospect Tyler Locklear didn't do much with his cup of coffee.
Alonso's 34 home runs in 2024 would have tied Cal Raleigh for a team high in Seattle last year.
