Remember when Pete Alonso's free agency dragged on for months because teams didn't want to pay an aging, high-strikeout, high-power first baseman his worth. That includes the New York Mets, who finally caved with a short-term offer right before spring training. Well, get ready for the same song and dance this winter, as Alonso will opt out of his contract and test the market again.
To his credit, Alonso put together arguably his best campaign – at least offensively – since his majestic 53-home run season as a rookie. Alonso hit .272 (a career high) with an .871 OPS and 38 home runs, earning his fourth straight All-Star bid. While Alonso's archetype is not traditionally valued in "modern" MLB, it's hard to deny the facts of the matter. Alonso is a stone-cold slugger with an unimpeachable track record of production at this point. He's 30 years old, so he shouldn't become unplayable on defense for a while. It's not like first base is a position where elite defense is all that common anyway.
Spotrac pins Alonso's market value at six years, $177 million, which seems perfectly valid for such a talented hitter, although it's probably a smidge optimistic given how his market unfolded last winter. Alonso should have more suitors this time around, however, so he might actually be able to strike up a bidding war. The Polar Bear is absolutely beloved in Queens and his departure would be met with mass disappointment, but David Stearns is an analytics guy at heart and the Mets probably want to put that money to use elsewhere, be it in the outfield or on the mound. So there's a good chance Alonso walks. The hope — for Mets fans, at least — is that he doesn't leave for one of these teams.
Here is how Alonso could end up on five worst-case teams for Mets fans in 2026.
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Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals don't feel like much of a threat right now, but a productive offseason can change that. There is more than enough young talent on the roster. Mackenzie Gore is so close to unlocking his ace potential. James Wood is already one of the best sluggers in MLB. Dylan Crews will come into his own sooner than later. CJ Abrams is a dude. In short, that Juan Soto trade package is going to hit it big time eventually, assuming Washington is patient enough.
A major free agent signing, such as Pete Alonso, sure would expedite the Nationals' ascent. The first base situation in DC is unsettled after axing Nathaniel Lowe late in the campaign. Washington was viewed as a popular sleeper for Alonso last winter and that should remain the case in 2026, so long as the front office is willing to put its best foot forward in negotiations.
On the surface, it's an appealing setup for Alonso. He'd be surrounded by a talented, up-and-coming core that can carry him into the later stages of his career. Washington is only a stone's throw from New York, so it's not a cross-country relocation. It's the same division. He knows the competition well — none better than the Mets, who he'd get the chance to face on a regular basis.
Washington probably needs to come with the most aggressive financial offer in order to convince Alonso to join such an unproven group. While other potential destinations (which we'll get to shortly) can sell Alonso on the vision of competing for a World Series from the jump, DC's upside is more abstract, less realized. But money is money, and if the Nats throw enough of it at Alonso, he can probably buy into the process.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks just couldn't stay healthy enough to cross the finish line, but this team remains plenty talented. It won't be too long until the 2023 NL champs are back in the playoffs with the chance to cause some chaos. That said, Arizona dealt several key pieces at the deadline, including first baseman Josh Naylor. That comes after losing Christian Walker to Houston last winter. So there is a clear-cut need, which Alonso can fill. Just imagine the three-bat gauntlet of Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Pete Alonso to kick off games — it's a tantalizing thought.
We've seen the Diamondbacks operate aggressively in free agency, but mostly on the pitching front. Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez. Those moves have yielded, um, mixed results. Now Zac Gallen hits the open market, leaving a gaping hole in the rotation. So the D'Backs will need to focus on beefing up the staff around Burnes as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. That should not preclude Arizona from pursuing Alonso, however, especially as the National League arms race intensifies. Los Angeles and San Francisco aren't going anywhere; the NL East teams won't fall off. The league is getting more and more competitive, and the Diamondbacks need to keep up.
Arizona managed to net Burnes on a hometown discount last winter. Unfortunately, Alonso's family does not reside in Phoenix, so the Diamondbacks need to come strong in a potentially competitive marketplace. There is comfort to be found in Arizona's relative youth, which should help cushion against Alonso's decline in year five or six of a long-term deal.
Health will be the biggest determining factor in Arizona's success next season. But after the Naylor trade, there isn't much standing in the way of an Alonso pursuit. The position is wide open and the front office has ample spending power. With how recently Arizona won the pennant, that is not a team the Mets want to meet in October with Alonso in enemy colors.
San Diego Padres
Neither Luis Arráez nor Jake Cronenworth are long-term solutions at first base for the San Diego Padres. Ryan O'Hearn is probably gone in free agency. That cracks the door wide open for A.J. Preller to continue to aggressive pursuit of win-now talent with a committed push to sign Pete Alonso. He can protect Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis Jr. atop the lineup and give San Diego even more over-the-fence firepower.
San Diego's recent budget cuts, brought on by an ongoing ownership feud that has hamstrung Preller's ability to shell out big money in free agency, are a complicating factor here. But with (most) of their big deadline additions coming off the books, not to mention Dylan Cease, the Padres might have a bit more flexibility this winter. It at least cracks the door open for a run at Alonso.
The Padres aren't going anywhere in the NL West. That is a loaded division, with both Arizona and San Francisco threatening to make a postseason push in 2026, but the Padres' foundation is strong, even if the ownership squabbles leave a bit of instability at the tippy-top. Alonso is an east coast kid whose name is basically synonymous with NYC at this point, but if he's willing to move across the country, sun-soaked San Diego seems like a nice spot to hang your hat.
San Diego needs to invest serious resources in the pitching staff, which makes signing Alonso trickier, but AJ Preller is a madman and the Padres tend to hang around every major free agent saga. Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki fell outside their grasp, but Alonso — if the Padres are committed enough — is far more plausible. The position is wide open for him in San Diego, and again, he'd get a chance to torture the Mets from another NL postseason regular.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees were billed as the most likely Pete Alonso suitor (other than the Mets) last winter, so we could see a rehashing of that battle in 2026. The Mets' front office is probably content with Alonso leaving if the price balloons past a certain point, but letting him set up shop in the Bronx would sting — for Steve Cohen, for David Stearns, and definitely for the Mets fandom.
Paul Goldschmidt was a one-year signing and he's clearly losing his spot to Ben Rice. Now, Alonso is not splitting time with Ben Rice at first base, and he's also not transitioning to DH full-time on a team with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. That is an undeniable hurdle to clear. Rice is awesome, cheap, and just beginning to scratch the surface of potential. The Yankees aren't going to trade him for an older, more expensive first baseman.
But... what if Rice takes over at catcher? He's not as polished defensively behind home plate as Austin Wells, but Rice would immediately become one of the best offensive catchers in MLB. He has the experience behind home plate. Wells is an above-average backstop in his own right, but he's not some generational talent. The Yankees could get a nice haul in return for a 26-year-old catcher with Wells' skill set, opening the door for Rice to catch full-time — and for Alonso to occupy first base.
That might be too many moving parts for Brian Cashman and company. Rice is probably better off at first base long term, in a perfect world. But Alonso is a damn good hitter, and plugging him behind Aaron Judge in the lineup has fearsome upside. Plus, plucking him out of Queens a year after the Mets stole Juan Soto? Well, that feels something like karmic justice, at least to Yankees fans.
Philadelphia Phillies
You could credibly argue that Alonso joining the Yankees is the worst-case outcome for Mets fans, but honestly, seeing him in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform probably stings more — if only because it means actually facing him on a regular basis and jockeying for position in the NL East standings year after year.
The Phillies happen to have a pretty good first baseman named Bryce Harper, so on the surface, it seems like an odd fit for Alonso. And it is. But Harper has, in the past, expressed a willingness to move back to the outfield to accommodate a star corner infield bat. That would address Philadelphia's feeble outfield depth chart and give them a new slugger behind Harper and Trea Turner at the top of the lineup.
That said, the more likely pathway to Alonso winding up in Philadelphia is if Kyle Schwarber signs elsewhere. That opens up a grave need for more slugging. It also means the Phillies can move Harper to the DH slot, which may help him age more gracefully (or at least with fewer injuries) while Alonso steps in to man first base. Or Alonso can DH, if Philly would prefer Harper's defense. That outcome does not feel especially likely, but it's certainly not impossible, especially with a lot of money coming off the books for the Phillies this winter. Dave Dombrowski is known to be aggressive in his pursuit of star-power when the opportunities arise.
If Alonso is frustrated with the Mets and desires a path to inflicting maximum pain, Philly is the best route. He's still in the northeast, in the same division, on a hated rival with significant (recent) bad blood. Just imagine the pangs of heartbreak in Queens if Alonso's Phillies knock the Mets out of the 2026 playoffs. Man. That's real.