New York Mets Brass Speaks on Future of Seattle Mariners Target Pete Alonso
The Seattle Mariners are in desperate need of offense this winter and have been linked to longtime New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso for months now.
The pairing makes sense on a multitude of levels: First, the Mariners need offense and Alonso has the kind of power that can overcome Seattle's power suppression. Second, Alonso plays first base, a position of need. Third, the Mariners have money (despite what they continuously say) and Alonso will want a lot of it.
However, there will be real issue in trying to get Alonso to Seattle this winter. First, the Mets are very likely to issue him a one-year qualifying offer. That means if the Mariners sign him, they'd be forced to give up a high draft pick to New York, which is not something they like to do.
Furthermore, the money will be an issue. Alonso is likely to want a $200 million deal or more and though the M's have it, they have multiple comments this offseason that suggests they don't want to pay premium dollar in free agency. Furthermore, Mets leadership indicated on Wednesday that they want Alonso back. Previously, it was not a given that the Mets did want him back, but GM David Stears said the following on Wednesday:
"He's a great Met, I hope we have him back"
David Stearns on PeteAlonso's upcoming free agency:
"He's a great Met, I hope we have him back"
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 23, 2024
David Stearns on Pete Alonso's upcoming free agency: pic.twitter.com/WXQwImXA1f
The Mets have the money to make anything happen, so if they really do want Alonso back, they could easily outbid the M's.
The 29-year-old Alonso is one of the most popular and productive Mets players in recent memory, having hit 226 regular season home runs since entering the league in 2019. He is a Rookie of the Year (2019), a four-time All-Star and a two-time Home Run Derby champion as well.
Alonso is coming off a year in which he hit .240 with a .329 on-base percentage. He hit 34 homers and drove in 88 runs. The popular website Spotrac.com says that six years, and $174 million is "market value" for him.
He led the league in home runs in five different seasons, including hitting 57 in 2002. He led the league in RBIs twice, slugging four times and OPS twice.
He also helped the Yankees win the World Series in 2009 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies.
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