MLB Rumors: Pete Alonso dark horse, SF Giants favorite for Boras client, Cubs-Monty

MLB rumors: Blue Jays named potential landing spot for Mets' Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso enters the final year of his contract with the New York Mets shrouded in uncertainty. While both sides have expressed a desire to continue the partnership, Alonso is another high-profile Scott Boras client. That essentially guarantees a protracted free agency period in which Alonso will focus on securing the most financially favorable contract possible.

Obviously the Mets can win the bidding war, as Steve Cohen's pockets know no end. But, there is a real chance the Mets dump Alonso via trade and hit the reset button, especially if the 2024 season gets off to a slow start. New York is already slated to miss Kodai Senga for a few weeks to open the season, so the Mets could be doomed from the start in a dangerous NL East.

The 29-year-old Alonso has the most home runs in the MLB since his debut in 2019. He is one of the league's truly dominant sluggers, coming off another dominant season in which he slashed .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs and 118 RBI in 568 AB. The strikeouts are part of the package with Alonso, but he also strikes fear into the hearts of pitchers. He will accrue a ton of walks and drive home a ton of runs.

One potential trade destination, as highlighted by Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, is the Toronto Blue Jays.

"If there's one team in the majors with a thirst to improve its ability to put runs on the board in the postseason, surely it's the Toronto Blue Jays, right?

They did have one game in the 2022 wild-card round when the offense showed up in a big way, but they still lost that game 10-9. And in losing each of their other five postseason games over the past four years, they were outscored by a combined total of 20-4. It was also the offense that let them down back in the 2016 ALCS against Cleveland, scoring eight runs in the entirety of that five-game series."

Toronto was right in the mix for both Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, but came up empty-handed. So far the Jays' ambitious offseason plans have yielded... Justin Turner. Toronto would love to add a source of power to the heart of their lineup. Alonso doesn't address their need for more left-handed pop, but he is virtually matchup-proof. The Polar Bear is batting .258/.341/.528 against right-handed pitchers for his career.

If the Blue Jays decide to upgrade their lineup midseason, we can operate under the assumption that Pete Alonso will be a primary target — even if he carries the risk of being a rental.