Ranking the 6 most viable landing spots for Pete Alonso

The offseason is quickly approaching and the last stretch of this postseason may be a bittersweet one for Mets fans as one of their beloved centerpieces may soon be wearing a new jersey.

By the end of his debut year, Pete Alonso had already established himself as an elite slugger. Alonso currently holds the rookie home run record mashing 53 dingers en route to winning the 2019 Rookie of the Year award. To this day, Alonso has hit 40+ home runs three times in his short six-year Mets tenure, not including his total of 16 in 2020 which would have been equivalent to over 40 home runs that year (13.00 AB/HR, 16 HR in 2020; 14.92 AB/HR, 40 HR in 2022).

In 2024, Alonso slashed .240/.329/.459/.788 with 34 home runs. His slugging percentage and OPS for 2024 are the lowest of his career. His home run total is the lowest of his career besides 2020. Not including 2020, the fact that Alonso has never hit less than 34 home runs in a season is very impressive.

Adding to his long list of accomplishments is the Polar Bear’s postseason record. Not one postseason series the Mets have participated in since 2022 has gone by without Alonso hitting at least one home run. Granted, that is only four series, but Alonso’s postseason track record is still impressive. Over his career, Alonso is 15-of-54 with five home runs in the postseason.

Home runs have always been Alonso’s strong point. His batting average has waned and risen from year-to-year, he never posted a vast quantity of doubles, and his on-base percentage was never amazing. While he is a good all-around hitter, none of his other skillsets come close to surmounting his power potential. Take it from the guy that won two Home Run Derbies. When Alonso hits the market, it will be his power potential that clubs are going to be bidding on.

Who could use a first baseman with 40-plus home run potential? Because that describes every team, we’ll just take a look at the best fits for the Polar Bear.

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6. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been in the hunt for a postseason spot for the past few years and haven’t come close. This year, they finished last in the NL Central posting a 76-86 record. In recent memory, the Pirates have made two somewhat aggressive moves: they extended Bryan Reynolds and signed Aroldis Chapman to a one-year deal. As it turns out, doing the bare minimum and hoping for the best is not a great strategy.

In 2024, the first base spot was occupied by a combination of Rowdy Tellez, Connor Joe, and Billy Cook. By all accounts, Rowdy Tellez was DFA’d four plate appearances shy of earning a $250,000 bonus. The Pirates may do very well to acquire a first baseman and have Connor Joe move back to the outfield.

With Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bryan Reynolds on their roster, the Pirates are on the clock. They have a substantial window they can work with to figure things out, but this window can fly past them if they don’t start working on it quickly. The last time the Bucs made it to the postseason was in 2015, when they lost to the Cubs in the Wild Card game.

It's a bit of a long-shot, but signing Pete Alonso this offseason would prove to the Pirates' fanbase that they are serious about contending. The Polar Bear would do much to increase their run production and put the Pirates in a position for a postseason run.

5. Houston Astros

Any discussion about teams in need of help at first base should include the Houston Astros. The Astros took on the 2020 AL MVP in Jose Abreu. After a year where he hit .304, Abreu posted the worst year of his accomplished career, at least until that point. But it would continue to go downhill from there. In 2024, his second year with Houston, the Astros were forced to release him.

Jon Singleton, though an improvement at first base, hasn’t performed to Houston’s liking. This glaring weakness will almost certainly not go unaddressed. Houston led the AL West with an 88-73 record and were quickly booted from the Wild Card round, being swept by the Detroit Tigers.

The Astros will undoubtedly have their hands full. Justin Verlander, Yusei Kikuchi, and Alex Bregman among others are free agents going into the offseason. Houston will certainly want to add a quality starter and a good bat or two. Currently, they have two prospects that can soon takeover third base in place of Bregman: Zach Dezenzo, who has already made his MLB debut, and Brice Matthews. They don’t have a prominent first base prospect as of yet.

Spending on quality first baseman just makes sense. Since the Astros’ dynasty is now fading, it is almost a guarantee they will look to make a splash.

4. San Francisco Giants

No one can say the Giants haven’t tried. They were in on Aaron Judge, they signed Jorge Soler (before trading him), Jung Hoo Lee, and Blake Snell (who is likely opting out). So far, nothing has worked out. As a result, GM Farhan Zaidi has been fired. One can only assume that with a change of management will come a change of strategy. Perhaps we’ll see a more aggressive offseason plan.

The first base position for the Giants has been shared by LaMonte Wade Jr and Wilmer Flores for the most part. Flores, who had a very good year in 2023, slumped through 2024. As for Wade, while his home run total and batting average don’t jump out, his on-base percentage for the past two years has been remarkable.

Either way, adding a new first baseman wouldn’t cause much of a roster shuffle. Wade can play in the outfield and Flores can DH or play just about anywhere else in the infield (Flores has a player option this season).

The Giants have been in the hunt for a postseason spot but came up empty the past two years. To their credit, they did make it to the NLDS in 2021. This season, both their offense and their pitching were mediocre. On the offensive front, the Giants lacked both power and the ability to get on base. With Lee returning from injury next year, the Giants will presumably only be lacking power from the heart of the order. The Giants’ top three home run hitters in 2024 were Matt Chapman (27 HR), Heliot Ramos (22 HR), and Michael Conforto (20 HR).

No Giants’ hitter has totaled 30 home runs this season and the three named above were the only players that hit 20 or more, however, most hitters saw a rather low number of at-bats. Chapman and Ramos were the only two that exceeded 438 at-bats in 2024.

As we’ve seen with their interest in Judge and Soler, the Giants are looking for a slugger to round out their power-lacking lineup. Pete Alonso would more than fit the role of power threat. But their pursuit of Alonso (if they decide to pursue him) will depend on how aggressive their approach is and a looming decision to pursue Juan Soto.

3. Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners finished the season tied with the Braves for the lowest team ERA in 2024. Despite their excellent pitching, the Mariners finished one game out of the Wild Card. Their most glaring problem has been their offensive production which has been abysmal all year long. As a team, the Mariners posted the second lowest batting average of 2024 with a .224, just a few clicks higher than the .221 posted by the all-time worst team in MLB history, Chicago White Sox.

At the trade deadline, the Mariners acquired Justin Turner and Randy Arozarena to make one final push, but it wasn’t enough. Their offense remained stagnant and effectively hampered any chances at a postseason appearance.

In July, first baseman Ty France was surprisingly DFA’d clearing the way for Tyler Locklear (Mariners No. 6 prospect). With plenty of young talent, including Locklear, the Mariners will have more than enough pieces to pull off a few trades and bolster their meager offense. But while there’s several great trade targets available this offseason, there isn’t a first base option that ranks higher than Pete Alonso.

Alonso would easily fit in the Mariners’ lineup behind Julio Rodriguez giving them power where they need it most. With a spectacular pitching staff and a lackluster offense, the Mariners’ priorities are clear. Seattle needs to build a batting order around Rodriguez if they are going to compete sometime in the near future.

2. San Diego Padres

Another year has gone by where the San Diego Padres have come close to no avail. The Friars have made three postseason appearances since 2020 (missed the postseason every year since 2007 until then) making it as far as the 2022 NLCS before losing to the Phillies. This season, they made it to the NLDS where they were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers. While a great team, it seems they were lacking an essential piece that could have given them the push they needed.

In that NLDS, the Dodgers and Padres went the distance; 3-2 Dodgers. Two of the Dodger wins came in fairly close games, both two run differences. One good bat could have potentially flipped that series on its head.

In 2024, the first base position was shared by Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth. The Padres have some flexibility as both Arraez and Cronenworth can DH or play second base. Currently, San Diego doesn’t have a primary DH. This opening gives them some options should they decide to move the infield around, especially if Ha-Seong Kim walks into free agency (mutual option).

Assuming the Padres do acquire Alonso, they will boast a lineup featuring Arraez, Tatis, Merrill, Alonso, and Machado (and Bogaerts if he can return to his Red Sox form). There wouldn’t be much doubt, should they acquire Alonso, that they will have a lineup worthy of a World Series. Like with the other teams mentioned, this will depend on the aggressiveness of management.

1. New York Mets

There is no doubt the New York Mets as well as its fans love the Polar Bear. Alonso himself has expressed his love for them as well. Over his six years in a Mets’ jersey, Alonso has become a Mets icon. Steve Cohen, owner of the Mets and of Point72 Asset Management, is the richest MLB team owner. On paper, it seems a Mets-Alonso reunion is a near-obvious outcome. But there is a caveat.

Alonso is a client of Scott Boras. In the world of Boras, money is everything. But the concern isn’t that Cohen can’t afford Alonso, it’s the Mets’ impending pursuit of Juan Soto. The bidding for Soto is going to be very competitive. According to Forbes’ Peter Chawaga, MLB executives have estimated Juan Soto will score a contract of around $500 million, but the bidding can very well wander north of that figure with one executive estimating $655 million.

Should the Mets fumble in their Juan Soto expedition, Pete Alonso is almost a guaranteed Met once more. It is highly unlikely the Mets will enter next season without an elite slugger. If the Mets do land Soto, the Alonso sweepstakes will become very interesting. It still makes sense to pursue Alonso, but a Soto contract can evaporate even the healthiest of budgets, and that may include Cohen’s. Either way, Alonso will not come cheap. If Cohen wants to shore up the pitching staff after signing Soto (if they manage to sign Soto), inking Alonso becomes more unlikely.

The Mets, should they sign Soto, will likely explore the possibility of cheaper contracts for players like Christian Walker or perhaps scour the trade market. Still, the Mets are a heavy favorite for resigning Alonso.

Honorable mention: New York Yankees if they part ways with Anthony Rizzo