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With a maximum of seven games remaining in the 2024 Major League Baseball season, MLB free agency is right around the corner. While Juan Soto will be the top prize on the market, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will also have his share of suitors.
New York enters the offseason as the favorite to retain his services, as Alonso has become one of the faces of the franchise and a fan-favorite. The two-time Home Run Derby champion, four-time All-Star and dinger extraordinaire is coming off a down year by his standards, but he has a long enough track record to command a high asking price this offseason.
The Mets paid him $20.5 million this year, a season in which he “only” hit 34 home runs (his worst mark for a full season in his career) with “only” a .788 OPS (also a career low). Spotrac projects him to be worth a six-year deal at $29 million per year. It's a hefty price tag that could take some teams out of the hunt right away, but it's also far from Soto money. He's a realistic option for a lot of teams.
Here are some of the most likely landing spots for Pete Alonso.
The Mets are favorites to re-sign Pete Alonso
Alonso has made it no secret that he loves playing in Queens, and that will naturally work in the Mets' favor to re-sign him. This is particularly true given how close the team came to a return to the World Series in 2024.
After New York's National League Championship Series ouster, Alonso spoke to the media about his future, and his comments should give Mets fans some comfort.
“I love this team. I love this organization,” he said, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “This fan base has treated not just myself, but my family so, so well. Right now, I’m just thinking of the group.
“We’ll see what happens. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But I love New York. I love this team. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special, and the memories that we’ve created together are just — wow. This is why we play baseball.”
With the Mets poised to retain the bulk of their offense, they're likely to make a run at Soto to try and add some extra pop before turning their attention to strengthening their pitching staff. If Alonso returns, he could be returning to a real World Series candidate in 2025.
The World Series-bound Yankees can make a big move on the crosstown Mets
You can't talk about a high-profile free agent without bringing up the New York Yankees. The American League champions have a team option on current first baseman Anthony Rizzo, worth $17 million. Though Rizzo had a strong American League Championship Series, he's also 35 and coming off of consecutive years with significant injury problems.
The Yankees' secret sauce to their offense in the postseason has been to lead off with Gleyber Torres (also a free agent), then have the sluggers Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton follow him. Adding Alonso to the mix would give the Yankees an embarrassment of home run hitting riches. The only downside is that the Yankees' predominantly right-handed lineup will get even more righty-heavy by replacing Rizzo with Alonso.
The Astros have a massive hole to fill at first base
The Houston Astros saw their seven-year ALCS streak snapped this season with a loss to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card Series. Their lack of a real first baseman isn't the only reason why, but it didn't help. The team cut ties with Jose Abreu after a brutal 35 games in 2024, in which he hit .125 and compiled -1.7 bWAR. Jon Singleton was better, but still mediocre at best at the plate, hitting .234 with a .707 OPS.
Despite a lack of production from first base, the Astros still ranked eighth in MLB in team OPS (.740) and 10th in home runs (190). But with Alex Bregman (26 HR, .768 OPS), the Astros could be about to lose some more firepower. Could Alonso be the Astros' solution to add some pop and fill a position of need in one move?
The Astros aren't afraid to spend and they'll enter 2025 hoping to prove their run of success isn't in the past. A statement signing like this could be just the way to set the tone.
The Mariners could be the wild card in the Pete Alonso sweepstakes
Much like their division rivals, the Seattle Mariners could use a first baseman. And if they're serious about competing for their first World Series in 2025, they may need Alonso. Seattle already has the best starting rotation in baseball by ERA (3.38) and a strong bullpen. The Mariners' offense simply wasn't good enough in 2024 to get them to the postseason.
Seattle finished with a team OPS of .687, good for 22nd in baseball and hit only .224 as a team (29th). Julio Rodriguez was the only regular Mariner to hit above .250 and Cal Raleigh the only to hit more than 20 home runs.
The one holdup could be that the Mariners need more than just one more bat to fix an ailing offense, and if they swing big at Alonso (say, offering him $30 million-plus), that could make it difficult to pull off more moves. Without an abundance of MLB-ready impact bats in the minors, free agency or trades may be the only way for the Mariners to bolster their lineup.
Alonso can't do it all himself, but it would be a start.
