This past offseason, the New York Mets were parading themselves as the new king of New York after they stole Juan Soto from the New York Yankees by enticing him with a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract that could reach $800 million provided that he reaches certain milestones.

However, the Yankees have managed to get the last laugh for the 2025 season, as they are headed to the postseason to face the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card series while the Mets will be watching the postseason from the couch after a 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday sealed their slow freefall.

But the Yankees may not be done laughing at the Mets' expense. Following the Mets' season-ending loss courtesy of a Francisco Lindor double play, first baseman Pete Alonso announced that he would be opting out of his current contract to test free agency. This, in turn, prompted analyst Dan Plesac to suggest that it might be the best for the Yankees to pursue the 30-year-old slugger on the open market.

“The Yankees lost Soto to the Mets. You know, you look at first base for the Yankees, Pete Alonso would look good in a Yankee uniform playing first base, hitting 35 [home runs] and knocking in over 100 runs,” Plesac said on MLB Network.

The free agency experience for Alonso last year was not very smooth; it took him until February to re-sign with the Mets on a two-year, $54 million “prove it” sort of deal.

Alonso certainly showed that he's worth the big bucks; he posted an OPS of .871 to go along with 38 home runs and 126 runs batted in. He continued to be one of the most consistent run producers in MLB, and having a chip on his shoulder seemed to improve his play.

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But will that be enough to convince the Yankees to make a play for him in the upcoming free agency period?

First base may not be a position of need for the Yankees

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) runs the bases during his homerun against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Yankee Stadium.
© Mark Smith-Imagn Images

While Alonso is a reliable home run producer, it's not like the Yankees are in need to add even more to their top-tier offense that scored an MLB-high 849 runs this season. They also hit 30 more home runs than any other team in MLB, so Alonso may not be someone whom they are going to go out of their way to pursue.

Ben Rice has been good for the Yankees anyway; he recorded 2.8 WAR in 2025 to go with 24 home runs and 63 runs batted in. He's under team control until 2031 and has shuttled back and forth between first base and catcher. Alonso might be good fit for the Yankees, but he doesn't exactly fill a position of need.