The Pete Alonso sweepstakes could still come down to two teams, a pair of high-spending contenders in search of slug this winter.
Former general manager Jim Bowden reiterated in The Athletic this week that Alonso’s two most likely landing spots remain the Mets and Red Sox.
The Mets, of course, are looking to retain Alonso, who opted out of his contract with New York. Alonso is a homegrown star in Queens, a face of the franchise and a fan favorite. He’s also one of the only players available this winter who can truly protect Juan Soto in the Mets’ lineup. That part of the Mets’ order wasn’t the problem as they flopped this year and ended up missing the playoffs in a disastrous second half collapse.
Boston, meanwhile, wants to add thump to the middle of their order. According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Alonso and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber are their primary targets on the open market. Either way, they’re primed to spend big on a slugger.
What the Mets need to decide is if they’re willing to pay as much as it’ll take to bring Alonso back when his contract will lock him in deep into his 30s. Would he make the move to designated hitter so the Mets can continue to improve on defense and address run prevention? Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras, indicated recently that the slugger would be willing to play less first base if it meant he’d be able to pursue a championship.
“I think Pete, at this point in his career, he’s about winning, no doubt,” Boras said at the General Manager Meetings last month.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns responded to Boras’ comment the following day.
“Pete’s clearly a really good offensive player and I think for any team, the ability to get his bat in the lineup in multiple ways is helpful,” Stearns said. “It’s great to know that Pete is open to stuff like that.”
Stearns and the Mets haven’t hidden their interest in Alonso along with closer Edwin Díaz, who also opted out and entered free agency this winter. Even after the Mets signed ex-Yankees closer Devin Williams to a three-year deal in free agency this week, they’re still open to bringing Díaz back.
“We love both Pete and Edwin,” Stearns said during the GM Meetings. “They’ve been great representatives of the organization. We’d love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly we’d love to have both these guys back.”
If the Red Sox are set on wowing Alonso with an impressive offer, they could push the Mets to new heights financially in pursuit of a reunion. New York will need to decide how far they’re willing to go when they have other glaring needs across their roster, namely starting pitching.