MLB Insider: Where things stand for Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander in free agency

Before the holidays, a plethora of high-profile players found new homes in free agency. Juan Soto went to the New York Mets, Max Fried went to the New York Yankees, Willy Adames went to the San Francisco Giants, and Teoscar Hernandez re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Since the holidays, the market has been quiet. While Corbin Burnes stunningly signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, players such as Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander, Jack Flaherty, and Alex Bregman remain unsigned in free agency.

Here’s where things currently stand for Alonso and Santander.

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Pete Alonso

While Alonso remains unsigned, the most likely option is that he re-signs with the New York Mets. It’s just taking longer than either side would have preferred.

So what’s the holdup? It comes down to years.

While Alonso is looking for a long-term contract, the Mets have not been willing to offer the superstar slugger that. The best solution for both sides would be a short-term, high average annual value contract that would allow Alonso to opt out after the first season. It’s something that Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras, has done in recent years – last year with Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs – and could pave the way for Alonso to return to Queens.

But with the gap in negotiations, it’s allowing other teams the opportunity to pry Alonso away from the Mets. Among the teams that make sense include the Seattle Mariners, Giants, and Cubs.

The Giants, who have a need at first base, are an obvious fit for Alonso. The Mariners, who need offense more than any team in baseball, are a clear fit on paper – but if ownership does not allow Jerry Dipoto to spend, then Alonso - or any other prominent names - will not end up in Seattle. The Cubs, meanwhile, could use additional offense alongside Kyle Tucker after trading Bellinger.

Anthony Santander

The market for Santander, meanwhile, is a lot more unclear.

While Santander is coming off a season in which he hit 44 home runs and 102 RBI, he remains unsigned, and there’s no signs that he’s close to having a home for 2025. Perhaps that’s because 1) he’s asking for too much and/or because of a career-low .235 batting average and a .308 on-base percentage in 2024.

The teams that have been connected to Santander include the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays, among others.

Santander appears to be the Tigers’ second option, behind Bregman. The Angels have been lurking in the hitting market and given team owner Arte Moreno’s volatility, are a threat to sign Santander or any other high-end free agent on offense. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have been seeking offensive reinforcements for years and know Santander from his time with the Baltimore Orioles. It’s a fit that’s worth monitoring, especially after unsuccessful pursuits of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in recent years.

A different possibility could be the Boston Red Sox, who have also been loosely linked in rumors to Bregman. Boston is looking for a right-handed bat, so the right-handed hitting Santander would be a fit. The Red Sox are also looking for bullpen help.