With first baseman Christian Walker off the board, where does that leave Pete Alonso?
Walker agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros. He has been one of the best all-around first basemen in baseball, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves and hitting 95 home runs over that span during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Now, attention turns to where Alonso will land.
MLB insider claims Pete Alonso might have to wait until early 2025 to sign
The options for Alonso appear to be dwindling. The New York Yankees are reportedly engaged in talks with former National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt, as signing Alonso would cost the Bronx Bombers two draft picks. They already had to relinquish two picks for signing ace Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal.
The Diamondbacks most likely won’t sign Alonso to the money he’s seeking, and it’s hard to envision the Seattle Mariners offering a contract the four-time All-Star wants after they missed out on Walker.
A reunion with the New York Mets still remains on the table, but at what cost?
“He’s sort of a man without a market at the moment,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said about Alonso on MLB Network.
.@Feinsand joins Matt Vasgersian to discuss Christian Walker's reported deal with the Astros and its ramifications on the market. pic.twitter.com/6CZuLm2SKy
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 20, 2024
According to Feinsand, Alonso will likely have to wait until January or February to get the contract he wants. Alonso reportedly turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension with the Mets in 2023.
“[S]o after earning $20.5 million in ’24, he would need to land a six-year deal worth roughly $137.5 million in order to justify that decision,” notes Feinsand.
Over six seasons with the Mets, Alonso hit 226 home runs, with an .854 OPS and 134 OPS+. Despite being one of the premier power hitters in the game, his OPS and OPS+ have regressed since 2022. He plays poor defense, and he just turned 30. His contract won’t age well, as he would likely have to be moved to a designated hitter role in the back half of the deal.
With the first base market rapidly shrinking and teams hesitant to commit long-term money to a defensively limited slugger, Alonso might find his best path forward is a return to Queens. The Mets know his value intimately, need his power bat in the lineup, and have the financial flexibility. However, as the market continues to develop and Alonso weighs his options into early 2025, other suitors could emerge with unexpected offers for the prolific home run hitter.
Related: Beloved New York Mets announcer has interesting ‘gut feeling’ prediction about Pete Alonso’s future
