Inside The Mets

This Team is 'A Perfect Fit' For Pete Alonso, Per Insider

Former New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is seen as a "perfect fit" for another team.

Grant Young

Sep 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Now that Juan Soto's free agency decision appears to be imminent, the market for former New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso will soon take shape.

At this point, there have been numerous teams touted as potential landing spots for Alonso. But in the past few days, several insiders seem to believe that one American League team is beginning to stand out from the crowd.

In a December 6 article, The Athletic's MLB insider Jim Bowden predicted Alonso would sign a 7-year, $189 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.

"The Mariners can’t sit back and let the best rotation in the American League not make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The best single move they can realistically make is signing Alonso, putting his 40-home run bat behind Julio Rodríguez in their lineup," Bowden wrote.

"Beyond the bat, Alonso brings a fun personality and an ability to perform in the biggest moments — something the Mariners desperately need. Last season, he hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs. In the two prior years combined, he had 86 home runs with 249 RBIs."

Bowden isn't alone in thinking Alonso and Seattle would be an ideal pairing, as USA Today insider Bob Nightengale shared the same sentiment in a December 8 article.

"Alonso says he loves the Mets and the Mets say they love Alonso, but something seems off. The Mets tried to sign him to an extension – seven years and $158 million, according to the New York Post – but it was flatly rejected. There’s no sign that the two sides have since talked, leaving everyone to wonder whether David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, even wants Alonso.

"He could easily turn to Christian Walker, the three-time Gold Glove first baseman, who should come at less than half the cost of Alonso. Alonso could be a perfect fit for the Seattle Mariners," Nightengale continued.

Perhaps Alonso's future team will become clear by the time this week's Winter Meetings end.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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