Mets might be even bigger winner than Ross Atkins after Blue Jays sign Anthony Santander

Not much has gone right for the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason, but Ross Atkins finally got a high-end free agent to come north of the border in Anthony Santander. The Jays might've given Santander one or two more years than they would've liked, but ensuring that they got a player who fits what they needed makes the deal worthwhile.

This Jays lineup, which was in dire need of a big bopper, added one of the best power hitters in the sport. Santander hit 44 home runs this past season and has hit the sixth-most home runs in the majors over the last three seasons.

While they're clear winners, the New York Mets might emerge as even bigger winners of this deal.

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Anthony Santander signing with Blue Jays might gift Pete Alonso back to the Mets

As has been the case all offseason, the Mets would like to bring Pete Alonso back to Queens, but on their terms. So far, the Mets have yet to come to an agreement with Alonso. New York's lack of aggression with Alonso opened the door for other teams to swoop in, but so far, that has not happened.

The Blue Jays were a team connected fairly heavily to Alonso in recent days, but that fit was tough to justify even before Santander's arrival. They haven't been ruled out on Alonso by any means after signing Santander, but it would not make much sense for the Jays to give Alonso the long-term deal he's seeking.

Do the Jays want Santander and Alonso - two 30-year-olds who offer tons of power but little else - on long-term deals? Do the Jays want to lose more draft pick compensation to sign Alonso, a player who has the qualifying offer attached? Do the Jays want to sign a player who plays the same position as their franchise player that they hope to extend to a long-term deal? Yes, there's a DH, but chances are, the Jays won't want Santander playing in the outfield or Guerrero playing third base regularly at any point. It's just tough to squeeze everyone in.

If the Jays are open to signing another high-end free agent, Alex Bregman makes a whole lot more sense, as his contract would probably age better and he can provide Gold Glove defense at the hot corner.

If the Jays are out on Alonso, where else can he conceivably go other than New York? The Seattle Mariners make more sense than any other team on paper, but they're reluctant to spend anything. The Detroit Tigers could make some sense, but they're more focused on Bregman. The San Francisco Giants might want in on the action, but they've already spent fairly heavily this offseason.

All roads continue to lead back to Queens. It might take a compromise from both sides, but the Mets and Alonso need each other at this point. The Jays were an X-Factor desperate enough to potentially spend what Alonso is demanding if they were to miss on Santander. The fact that Santander is coming suggests it's a lot less likely Alonso follows, and with a jarring lack of alternatives, the time is now for David Stearns to swoop in and get a deal done.