Mariners' interest in Pete Alonso picks up due to one simple fact

I know the pieces fit! The Seattle Mariners may have vicariously enjoyed watching Pete Alonso from afar for a while now, but the New York Mets first baseman may be the missing piece in their tool belt. Seattle is expected to go for broke this year and push all of its chips in for a shot at a ring. Together, Alonso and the Mariners can do something neither has ever done before: Get to the World Series.

USA TODAY Sports Bob Nightengale shared in his latest news and notes column what the Mariners' plans are. His intel from rival executives suggests that Seattle will go all-in on trying to acquire a star offensive plan to match its stellar starting rotation. Two years ago, they did a similar thing in trading for Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds to amplify their rotation and end their postseason drought.

Seattle currently leads the AL West, but needs a bit more firepower to get past the heavy hitters over in the AL East such as the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. To date, the Mariners are the only team in MLB that has never even been to a World Series. Keep in mind how bad they were as an expansion team, only really turning the corner when Ken Griffey Jr. ascended to MLB superstardom.

Let's now discuss if Nightengale is right in that Alonso is the perfect trade piece for the Mariners.

Pete Alonso the ideal trade piece for a team like the Seattle Mariners

With the Mets going nowhere fast and Alonso on the final year of his contract with New York, there are no guarantees that they will be able to re-sign him. Sure, retaining Alonso may be a top priority for the team, but New York has been more down than up during his time with the franchise. With him pushing 30 and nowhere close to contending for championships, he might want to move on soon.

So with that in mind, the Mets' front office will need to gauge the market and see what kind of package manifests for their All-Star first baseman. If he were to move, Alonso would be one of the biggest names potentially changing teams before the end of the season. As far as if Seattle is the best fit for him, I think it could be a compelling one. Again, the market has to manifest here first.

Historically, it has been hard to score runs offensively in Seattle. It is why pitching has usually been what has driven the team since leaving the Kingdome several decades ago. Overall, I would say that Alonso going from an NL East disappointment to a major contender out west in the American League is not the worst idea in the world. Seattle may not have the horses to win just yet, but they have time.

Adding Alonso into the equation would pack another punch into what could be an improving lineup.