Mets' First Base Target Off The Board; Could This Pave Way to Re-Sign Pete Alonso?

With first baseman Christian Walker signing with the Houston Astros, one potential Mets' target is now off the free agency board. Find out what this means.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The second-best first base option on the free agent market is now off the board.

Christian Walker has signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

The New York Mets could have opted to bring in Walker, who turns 34 in March, as a three-year stopgap option to man first base. However, Walker is now with Houston, which could give some more leverage to another free agent first baseman.

The market of homegrown star Pete Alonso has yet to heat up due to teams being hesitant on dishing out a long-term deal to a power-hitting 30-year-old first baseman.

That being said, Alonso is one of the best home run hitters in the game and is highly durable, having played in all 162 games last season. Alonso has played in 160 or more games in three out of his five full big-league seasons, and 152 or more in the other two campaigns. He played in 57 out of 60 games in the Covid-shortened 2020 season as well.

Since entering the league in 2019, Alonso has hit the second-most homers (226) behind New York Yankees captain and two-time AL MVP winner Aaron Judge.

While Alonso had career-lows of 34 homers, 88 RBI and a .788 OPS in 2024, he slugged four long balls and had a .999 OPS in the postseason. He also had a clutch signature moment in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card series with a go-ahead three-run homer off Devin Williams in the ninth inning with the Mets down two runs. This ultimately saved the Mets season and allowed them to continue their Cinderella run to the NLCS.

Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million contract extension from the Mets and former GM Billy Eppler back in the 2023 season. This would have bought out his final year of arbitration so the true value on the deal was six-years at around $135 million.

But Alonso was under different representation at the time and is now with super agent Scott Boras and Boras Corporation. The Mets are now being led by president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Alonso means a lot to the Mets' franchise and fanbase and re-signing him makes a lot more sense now with Walker joining Houston. Not to mention the added buzz it would create after the Mets landed superstar outfielder Juan Soto on a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal.

A lineup featuring Francisco Lindor, Soto, Mark Vientos, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez would certainly boost the Mets' World Series odds in the short-term future.

The alternative route the Mets could go is signing third baseman Alex Bregman and shifting Vientos to first base. But Bregman is rumored to be seeking a $200 million contract and is less of a fit given the Mets sound intent on continuing to develop Vientos at the hot corner.

Unless the Mets sign a Paul Goldschmidt or Carlos Santana one-year stopgap, they could also explore the trade market for a Nathaniel Lowe or Josh Naylor.

But again, retaining Alonso, although costly, currently appears to be the most logical plan at this point in time. Walker made sense for the Mets, but now keeping Alonso seems like the club's best option.