Ranking potential non-Mets Pete Alonso suitors by fit as options continue to dwindle

For much of the offseason, the plethora of first basemen available in free agency and on the trade market were largely ignored. That all changed in a matter of days, as guys ranging from Christian Walker to Paul Goldschmidt to Nathaniel Lowe all found new homes.

Most of the available first basemen are now off the board with one giant exception - Pete Alonso. Arguably the best first baseman available this offseason is still out there for the taking.

With most of the first basemen having ended up elsewhere, the expectation is that Alonso will eventually re-sign with the New York Mets, and it isn't hard to see why. The Mets still need a corner infielder, Alonso wants to return, and most of his potential suitors have found other options.

While the Mets re-signing him is the likely outcome, the fact that it hasn't happened yet suggests that it's far from a lock. Mike Puma of the NY Post came up with five potential non-Mets fits for Alonso. Some of them make more sense than others.

5) The Cardinals will want no part of Pete Alonso

Of the five suitors Puma lists, the St. Louis Cardinals are the hardest to envision for several reasons. First and foremost, the Cardinals are rebuilding. John Mozeliak might refrain from using that specific word, but it's abundantly clear that they aren't trying to win right now. They aren't attempting to pursue any high-end free agents, and are even shopping their veterans in an effort to clear money and give their younger players a chance to play.

Second, the Cardinals have already announced that Willson Contreras will be done with catching and will make the move over to first base. Now, the Cardinals could choose to use Contreras or even Alonso as their DH, but that's likely where Alec Burleson will play.

The Cardinals would look a whole lot better in 2025 if they signed Alonso, but chances are, a team that doesn't care about winning in the short term won't be forfeiting a draft pick and a large sum of money to sign a right-handed hitting first baseman on the wrong side of 30.

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4) Would Pete Alonso ever consider signing with the Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels rank low among the non-Mets Alonso suitors for the opposite reason. They might trick themselves into signing Alonso with the thought that they'd be good enough to compete, but would Alonso seriously consider them?

Money matters, and if the Angels offer him way more than any other team then of course he'd consider them. However, there's no reason why Alonso would consider the Angels money aside, and are we even sure that the Angels want Alonso?

Nolan Schanuel didn't have the best rookie season ever, but he's also just 22 years old and was taken in the first round by the Angels in the 2023 MLB Draft. Would they really give up on him that quickly? They could use Alonso as the DH, but Jorge Soler figures to play there regularly, and plus, would they really want to give Alonso all of that money just to DH?

It'd be fun if the Angels were good, but frankly, Alonso won't make them much better. It'd be foolish for the Angels to pursue him, and Alonso likely wouldn't consider them without a massive offer. The only reason they rank ahead of the Cardinals is because of the massive X-Factor that is Arte Moreno.

3) The Rangers can add to their already loaded lineup by signing Pete Alonso

The Texas Rangers had a rough 2024 campaign coming off their World Series title, but have had a nice start to their offseason, re-signing Nathan Eovaldi, signing Joc Pederson, and trading for Jake Burger. The Rangers also made a fairly surprising move, parting with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and acquiring intriguing left-handed reliever Robert Garcia.

The Lowe trade opened up first base, but Burger seems set to fill that spot, especially with Pederson being signed as the team's DH. The Rangers could choose to flip Burger or use him off the bench to fit Alonso into the mix, and doing so would make an already potent lineup that much scarier, but that's probably unlikely.

As exciting as adding Alonso to a lineup already featuring the likes of Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, and Wyatt Langford would be, the Rangers will likely use the rest of their money available on pitching with Burger able to play first base and the lineup being as loaded as it is.

2) Will the Mariners spend enough money to lure Pete Alonso to Seattle?

On paper, the Seattle Mariners are the best fit among the non-Mets suitors. They ranked just 21st in runs scored this past season, and Alonso would be a pretty massive upgrade over Luke Raley at first base.

The problem, unfortunately, comes down to the money. Would Mariners owner John Stanton finally decide to open up his wallet to sign Alonso? Mariners fans can hope, but nothing suggests that's likely. In fact, the team appears to be considering shopping Luis Castillo just to clear some money.

If the Mariners were going to spend money on a power-hitting first baseman, they likely would've signed the cheaper Christian Walker instead of allowing him to sign with their biggest threats in the AL West. He'd be a nice fit for an offensively-starved team, but with money being a factor, this one's hard to see.

1) The Giants could be desperate enough to steal Pete Alonso away from the Mets

The San Francisco Giants already made one splash this offseason, signing Willy Adames, and they have the money available to make another. That splash is probably more likely to come from a Corbin Burnes signing than Alonso, but why can't this work if Burnes ends up elsewhere?

The Giants have LaMonte Wade and Wilmer Flores set to share first-base duties as of now. While that platoon has worked in the past, both of them are coming off of down years. Alonso would give them a bonafide star at the position, and a middle-of-the-order bopper to pair with Adames that this lineup lacks.

Yes, Oracle Park is a pitcher's park, but Alonso has the power to hit the ball out anywhere, and his .910 OPS in San Francisco in his career backs that up. Signing Adames gets them closer to Wild Card contention, but adding Alonso to the mix makes them even more of a threat.