Now that Pete Alonso has traded his New York Mets pinstripes for Orioles orange, the first base situation in Queens is anything but clear.
Alonso has been the Mets’ primary first baseman since he hit a rookie-record 53 home runs in 2019. He was an easy choice for the NL Rookie of the Year Award that year, and made the first of his five NL All-Star teams.
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Now, the Mets might look across town at a free agent first baseman to fill their Polar Bear-sized hole.
While the Yankees are perhaps most focused on Cody Bellinger — a first baseman when he won the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year Award — the Mets are reportedly considering signing another former MVP.
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According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, the Mets have “floated internally” the possibility of pairing Goldschmidt, a right-handed hitter, with left-handed hitting veteran Jeff McNeil at first base.
The 2022 National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals, Goldschmidt is coming off arguably the worst season of his career. He slashed .274/.328/.403 (104 OPS+) in 146 games with the Yankees in 2025. His 1.2 bWAR was his lowest total over a full season in his career — including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
Goldschmidt, 38, is inarguably past the prime of his career; he made six consecutive All-Star teams from 2013-18 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Still, he punished left-handed pitching to the tune of a .336/.411/.570 slash line for the Yankees last season. McNeil, 33, slashed .245/.330/.426 against righties last season for the Mets.
The logic of platooning the two veterans at first base isn’t difficult to discern. And the Mets need a win amid an offseason defined by losses.
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For all its logic, the plan would certainly be an underwhelming solution after the Mets seemed to throw life-changing money at their biggest roster issues with ease. Last year, they signed outfielder Juan Soto to the largest contract ever given a professional athlete — a 15-year pact that can top out north of $819 million.
If the Mets were to replace Alonso with a Goldschmidt/McNeil tandem, fans would be left to wonder where all the money went.
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But the most ambitious offseason plan isn’t always the best one — even if it isn’t Plan A. The Mets reportedly did not formally offer Alonso a contract to return, suggesting he might have been Plan B at best.
If Goldschmidt is in the Mets’ plans for 2026, now might be the time to strike.
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