San Francisco Giants Rumors Surrounding Free Agent Star Don't Make Sense

The San Francisco Giants have been linked to one of the top free agents available, but is it really a fit?

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have been aggressive in free agency this offseason as many hoped they would be.

Of course losing out on Corbin Burnes to their division rival Arizona Diamondbacks was a disappointment. But the Giants have made other splash moves this offseason.

San Francisco gave out the largest contract in team history to their new shortstop, Willy Adames, and brought in three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander on a one-year deal to bolster the rotation and help mentor the young arms in the organization, both popular moves.

But one free agent who the Giants have been consistently linked to as he continues to try to leverage his current team is New York Mets slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. The most likely outcome for Alonso is a return to the Mets, but him not signing to this point likely indicates a major discrepancy in compensation or years between him and the Mets.

Reports emerged this week from the New York Post that Alonso is look for "at least" a six-year deal, and by the sounds of it he has not received that from anyone just yet.

With San Francisco potentially in the first base market and looking to make a trade of LaMonte Wade Jr., it's understandable they've been connected to Alonso. But it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense especially on the major long-term deal the slugger is seeking.

The biggest reason why it's not logical for the Giants to be involved is their top prospect. Though San Francisco has one of the weaker farm systems in baseball, they have one of the best prospects in Bryce Eldridge.

Not only is Eldridge the team's future first baseman, he's seen by some as the future face of the franchise. Though he may not arrive until the 2026 season, committing huge money over a lengthy term to a first baseman when you have Eldridge waiting in the wings simply isn't logical.

Further complicating things is Alonso's fit. There's no denying his power. Only Aaron Judge has more home runs than Alonso's 226 moonshots since he entered the league in 2019. But Alonso's value on offense is highly dependent on the long ball, and Oracle Park is far from a hitter's ballpark.

Bringing the right-handed Alonso to a place where his greatest asset would be harder to utilize for 81 games each season on a huge contract built on his previous production, which would be certain to dip in Oracle Park, doesn't feel wise.

Alonso seems destined to end up back in New York. But if he does surprise folks across the league and wind up elsewhere, don't count on it being San Francisco.