3 doomsday Pete Alonso landing spots that would haunt the Mets
The New York Mets are entering one of the most important offseasons in recent memory. The Mets will be aggressively pursuing Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto, who could be the biggest signing in recent team memory.
But the bidding war for Soto is expected to be a very competitive one, so it's far from a guarantee that the Mets are able to sign him. Besides Soto, the Mets have some other priorities. One of which is their star slugging first baseman, Pete Alonso.
Alonso has spent his entire big league career with the Mets, but he's now entering unrestricted free agency for the first time. They will be very aggressive in trying to bring Alonso back.
Worst case scenario for the Mets is that they miss on Soto and Alonso, with both players going to rival teams. What are the top three doomsday landing spots for Pete Alonso that would haunt the Mets?
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3. New York Yankees
In terms of which team would be the best on this list if they added Pete Alonso, the top team would be the New York Yankees. The Yankees adding Alonso alongside Aaron Judge would be one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball history in terms of power and slugging. But, the reason that the Yankees come in at third on this list is for one simple reason.
If the Yankees sign Alonso, that means the Mets likely signed Juan Soto. If the Mets had the chance to swap Alonso out for Soto, they would do it every day of the week.
But the Yankees adding Alonso would still make their lineup even more daunting than it is right now. Obviously, bringing Soto back would be the best-case scenario for the Yankees, but signing Alonso alongside another top player would be quite a solid offseason for the Yankees and it could come back to haunt the Mets and the rest of the league.
It's not the worst-case scenario for the Mets because the two New York teams play in different leagues, but it would still be a doomsday scenario for the entirety of Major League Baseball.
2. Chicago Cubs
As we move on to the second team on this list, we look into one of the most realistic landing spots for Alonso that would also haunt the Mets. It's the Chicago Cubs, who have been in the market for a first baseman for quite some time now.
Chicago is expected to be very aggressive in free agency this offseason as they look to return to the playoffs now that manager Craig Counsell has a full year with the team under his belt. Part of their buying would be looking to sign a top pitcher, a top first baseman and depth across the board. And Chicago will have the money to do so.
This lands at number two on this list for a few reasons. One, adding Alonso would give the Cubs the chance to come out of the NL Central and win the NL Pennant. Two, the Mets would then face the possibility of losing Alonso and missing out on Soto in the same swoop.
Because they both play in the National League, the Mets would have to matchup against Alonso and the Cubs more often than they would like to be playing him.
1. Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are set to continue their rebuild this offseason, where they may consider buying on some of the bigger name free agents. A few years ago, they offered Juan Soto over $400 million in a contract extension, so there's no excuse that the Nationals don't have the money. Now, they're being connected to top free agents like Soto and Alonso, though they're looked at as afterthoughts in these free agent races.
But, what if the Nationals are willing to give up the money that it takes to bring Alonso in? What if they go all in and steal Alonso from a division rival? That would be the ultimate doomsday scenario for the Mets.
Not only would they be losing one of their best players, but they would be losing him to one of their biggest rivals. New York would be forced to pitch against Alonso, who's hit 226 home runs in six seasons with the Mets. In this scenario, the Mets pitchers would be forced to compete against Alonso and the rebuilding Nationals in the NL East.
It's not the most likely scenario, but if Alonso lands within the division, the Mets would be haunted for years to come.