The New York Mets already made their first big move of the MLB offseason by hiring manager Carlos Mendoza to replace Buck Showalter. Now, following weeks of trade rumors surrounding Pete Alonso, the possibility of a deal seems to be back on the table.
New York has made its priorities this offseason clear. After trading away Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Mets want to improve their pitching/ WHile free agent might be the best option for president of baseball operations David Stearns, trades offer some appeal.
- Pete Alonso stats: 46 home runs, 118 RBI, .821 OPS, .217/.318/.504
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Alonso, entering the final year of his contract, has been one of the most productive Mets’ hitters for years. However, he’ll be 30 years old when his contract expires and New York might believe a better investment of its money is in a high-end starting pitcher rather than a power-first slugger.
While the Mets have seemingly gone back and forth over whether or not to trade Alonso, at the very least fielding trade inquiries at the end of July, there would reportedly be a strong market for his services.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants have all been rumored as potential landing spots for Alonso this winter in conversations around the league.
- Pete Alonso contract: Arbitration-eligible in 2024, free agent in 2025
Related: New York Mets hire Carlos Mendoza
Chicago is intriguing for a variety of reasons. Among them, they made an aggressive move to fire manager David Ross and immediately replaced him with Craig Counsel on a record-breaking contract. Counsel also has the slightest of ties to Alonso, as he was in Milwaukee when the Brewers aggressively pursued a trade for Alonso at the deadline.
While Alonso is one of the best power-hitters in MLB, his status as a one-year rental with a high projected salary in 2024 will diminish his trade value somewhat. However, clubs like the Mariners, Cubs and Giants all have young pitching that could be moved for Alonso.
