New York Mets Could Get in Bidding War for Star First Baseman

The New York Mets are one of six teams expected to "aggressively pursue" a first baseman not named Pete Alonso in free agency.

Jul 6, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) leads off first base as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker (53) covers the bag during the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The New York Mets and New York Yankees are reportedly set to compete for the same slugging first baseman this offseason—but it is not the one you might expect.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, at least six teams are expected to "aggressively pursue" free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, with two of those teams based in the Big Apple.

"[Walker] could ultimately be involved in a bidding war between the Yankees and Mets," Nightengale wrote in an article published late last week. He added that teams believe Walker will sign for about half the price of Mets free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso, whom the Yankees have also shown interest in as a potential replacement for Anthony Rizzo.

Walker, who is set to turn 34 in March, posted a .251/.335/.468 slash line with 26 home runs over 130 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks this past season. He dealt with an oblique strain late in the year, which sidelined him for over a month. Over the past few seasons, Walker has averaged 32 home runs annually and has earned three consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

In an article published Nov. 5, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel ranked Walker as the 16th-best free agent available, projecting a three-year, $57 million deal ($19 million AAV) for the slugging first baseman. For comparison, Alonso was ranked No. 7 on the list, with a projected six-year, $159 million contract going into his age-30 season—$7.5 million more annually than Walker.

Walker’s projected contract mirrors those of José Abreu, who signed a similar deal at age 36, and Edwin Encarnación, who received a comparable offer at age 34. While both are strong parallels in terms of age and offensive output, Walker offers significantly more defensive value—a factor that could influence the Mets to move on from Alonso in favor of Walker, despite the age difference.

In 2024, Walker ranked second among qualified first basemen in Outs Above Average, posting a +14 rating. Alonso finished 36th with a -9 rating. Walker also recorded seven defensive runs saved (DRS) and a 4.3 ultimate zone rating (UZR), while Alonso posted a -3 DRS and 0.4 UZR.

Although retaining Alonso would be more costly, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns expressed in his end-of-season press conference that he would love to bring Alonso back. If the Mets miss out on both Alonso and Walker while pursuing other free agents—such as Juan Soto or starting pitcher Corbin Burnes—they could get creative with their options at first base.

One possibility the Mets are rumored to be interested in is signing star free-agent shortstop Willy Adames and moving him to third base, thus shifting Mark Vientos to first, where he played 70 games in the minor leagues. A potential pursuit of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency could also force Vientos to switch positions, although there is currently less buzz surrounding that idea.

The Mets came up just short of forcing a 2000 Subway Series rematch this October, but with the intensifying reports of bidding wars for Walker, Alonso, and Yankees slugger Juan Soto, this offseason could mark the beginning of a heated chapter in their cross-town rivalry.