Michael Kay suggests Yankees' Juan Soto backup plan, and it's not Pete Alonso

The New York Yankees have one clear goal after falling short in the World Series - re-signing Juan Soto. That feels like a must, after the year he just had and with where the team is right now. With that being said, though, Soto is a free agent. It's entirely in his control where he ends up. There's a very realistic shot that Soto has played his last game in pinstripes.

If Soto does make the decision to leave the Yankees, Brian Cashman is going to have to respond somehow. Wasting the few prime years that Aaron Judge has left can't be an option. One obvious backup plan New York has available to them is pursuing perhaps the second-best hitter available on the open market - Pete Alonso.

Bringing Alonso aboard would make sense, but it's hard to fault skeptics who aren't too excited for the idea of giving a 30-year-old first baseman who just had his worst season a big free agent contract. Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay is one of those skeptics, as he revealed on The Michael Kay Show.

"I appreciate Pete Alonso as a player, but why would the Yankees do that? How is that their Plan B? That doesn't make sense to me. A right-handed batter that they're going to have to spend six-to-seven years for. He's 30 years old, why would you do that? How does that fit the Yankee game plan with their left field? That's not the move to make. That's not your Plan B."

Again, it makes sense for the Yankees to avoid giving Pete Alonso the big contract he's likely going to receive. Generally, power hitting first basemen don't age particularly well, and with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium, left-handed hitters generally produce more in the Bronx.

With Alonso clearly not being the player Kay wants to see in pinstripes, he outlined a different Plan B. To be completely honest, it's tough to defend it.

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Michael Kay suggests Yankees ignore Pete Alonso, pursue Nolan Arenado trade as potential Plan B

"The Cardinals are cleaning house. Now, he has a no-trade clause, but I've talked with Nolan Arenado. He's a baseball guy. He understands what works, what's important, the history of the game. I'd go to the Cardinals and go: "You eat $12-$15 million of his $31 million that he's owed over the next couple of years, we'll take Nolan Arenado."

Nolan Arenado is the backup plan? Really? If this was a couple of years ago, sure, but now? How does that make sense?

Arenado was once one of the elite players in the game but is simply not that guy anymore. He, like Alonso, is coming off arguably his worst season which saw him slash .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 152 games. He still hits for a decent average and is still a good defender, but he isn't the Platinum Glove-level defender that he once was, and his once elite power is virtually gone as well. He hit 16 home runs while playing in a full season, nearly 20 fewer than Alonso. His 101 OPS+ was 22 points lower than Alonso's despite Alonso playing at a more pitcher-friendly ballpark half the time.

Kay cited Alonso being a poor ballpark fit as why he wouldn't make sense for the Yankees. That might be true, but what does Arenado have that Alonso doesn't? It's not as if Arenado is a left-handed hitter who would be a perfect Yankee Stadium fit. In fact. Arenado's pull rate (44.2 percent) was higher than Alonso's (41.6 percent) according to Baseball Savant. All of Arenado's home runs were pulled, while Alonso, in the regular season and especially the postseason, used right field more.

Also according to Baseball Savant, Arenado was expected to hit 12 home runs at Yankee Stadium this past season, four fewer than the 16 he wound up hitting. Comparatively, Alonso had 36 expected Yankee Stadium home runs, two more than his 34 home runs.

Passing on Alonso is fine, but what is the appeal behind Arenado, who has three years and $52 million remaining on his deal? He'll come cheaper financially, but the St. Louis Cardinals won't just hand him to the Yankees, especially if they have to eat money as Kay suggests. The Yankees would have to pull off a trade, while also having Arenado accept a deal to come to the Bronx.

There are so many players, whether it's via free agency or trade, who make more sense than Arenado as a backup plan for the Yankees. He's a big name, and it'd be fun to see him in pinstripes with a chance to win, but this wouldn't make the Yankees much better at this stage of his career. If the backup plan isn't Alonso, hopefully, it's something better than Arenado.