Cardinals Loosely Linked To Mets' All-Star In Line For $174 Million

The Cardinals surprisingly were linked to the former Mets star

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals likely aren't going to hand out any large deals this offseason.

St. Louis already has indicated that it is planning on using this offseason as a "reset." Most of the chatter about the Cardinals this offseason has been about who the team could part ways with rather than who the club could add.

If the Cardinals wanted to attempt to make a run in 2025, there certainly are options available who could help. But, it's going to be a transition year with Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations after the 2025 season ends so it would be pretty surprising to see any big deals get done before that.

While this all is the case, the New York Post's Mike Puma surprisingly mentioned the Cardinals as a fit for New York Mets four-time All-Star Pete Alonso.

"(Paul Goldschmidt) departed through free agency, reaching agreement over the with the (New York Yankees) (one year, $12.5 million)," Puma said. " Alonso would fit, but the Cardinals have shown little inclination to spend money this offseason. Would they potentially give a nine-figure deal to Alonso?

"The five-year contract worth $130 million that Goldschmidt received before the 2020 season was among the biggest given to a first baseman in recent years. As it stands, the Cardinals appear set to head into spring training with Alec Burleson as the first baseman. Burleson has experience at the position and brought a respectable left-handed bat (.734 OPS) to the Cardinals’ lineup last season."

Landing someone like Alonso would be nice, but the team already has made it known that Willson Contreras will be taking over first base in 2025. Don't get your hopes up for Alonso if you're a Cardinals fan. He's going to be expensive with a market value projection of $174 million over six years and that doesn't sound like it would be in the Cardinals' plans this offseason.

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