New York Mets Were in The Mix to Sign Carlos Santana

The New York Mets were reportedly in the mix to sign Carlos Santana before he ultimately chose the Cleveland Guardians.

Jul 31, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (30) follows through on an RBI double against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets remain in need of a first baseman, and while a reunion with Pete Alonso is still on the table, the team was reportedly exploring an alternative solution in recent days.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets were “in the mix” to sign Carlos Santana before the veteran first baseman opted to return to the Cleveland Guardians on a one-year, $12 million deal. Just before the agreement was announced, Cleveland traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks, clearing the way for Santana's return.

Santana, who will turn 39 in April, spent the first eight seasons of his 15-year career in Cleveland (2010-17) and had a second stint with the team in 2019-20. Since 2021, he has played for five different teams, including two AL Central rivals of Cleveland.

Despite his late-career journey through several organizations, Santana remains a productive player and drew significant interest from multiple teams beyond the Mets.

"Santana said both New York teams, Detroit, and Arizona were also in the mix, while San Diego and Texas had asked him to wait," Rosenthal wrote.

The switch-hitter played 150 games for the Minnesota Twins this past season, posting a slash line of .238/.328/.420 with a .749 OPS, 23 home runs, and 71 RBIs. He also earned the first Gold Glove Award of his career in 2024.

Though Santana is eight years older than Alonso, he was considered one of the top available free-agent first basemen due to his consistent offensive and defensive contributions. Signing Santana would have provided the Mets with a short-term defensive upgrade while saving them a significant amount of money.

Santana ranked first among qualified first basemen in Outs Above Average with +14 in 2024, while Alonso finished 36th in MLB with a -9 rating—his worst defensive performance to date.

That said, Alonso compensates for his defensive limitations with elite power. After just six seasons, he is only 27 home runs away from the Mets' all-time record and posted a stellar .999 OPS over 13 postseason games this year, underscoring his ability to perform in high-pressure moments.

The market for first basemen was slow to pick up until Christian Walker signed with the Houston Astros on Dec. 20. Since then, it has quickly thinned.

In addition to Santana and Naylor finding new homes, Paul Goldschmidt joined the New York Yankees and Nathaniel Lowe was traded to the Washington Nationals, eliminating two major potential suitors for Alonso.

As a result, a return to Queens now seems more likely than ever for Alonso. Rosenthal even noted on the “Fair Territory” podcast this week that “the entire baseball industry” believes the longtime Mets slugger will re-sign.

Ken Rosenthal:

“The entire industry believes (the Mets) are going to re-sign Pete Alonso.”
pic.twitter.com/1WzPRbohUK

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) December 23, 2024

However, the Mets still have the alternative option of pursuing a third baseman, such as Alex Bregman, which would shift Mark Vientos across the diamond to first base. Other available first basemen include Anthony Rizzo, Josh Bell, and Ty France in free agency, while LaMonte Wade Jr. and Yandy Díaz remain trade possibilities.