New York Mets Slugger Would Be Perfect Fit For Washington Nationals
As the Washington Nationals wrap up their season this week, they will be focusing on what is next for the franchise in the offseason.
There were a lot of positives to take away from the 2024 campaign for the Nationals, as a lot of their young players improved over the course of the year, and some of their top prospects made their debuts.
As Washington heads into the offseason, they have a few clear needs to address. One of those needs is a first baseman who could be a middle of the order threat for a Nationals team that could use some pop.
A player who appears to be a perfect fit for them is someone they are very familiar with in New York Mets’ slugger, Pete Alonso.
There has been a lot of speculation about what the Mets are going to do with Alonso this coming offseason, while they offered him a contract extension, it wasn’t accepted by Scott Boras. The slugging first baseman is going to be testing free agency for the first time this winter and Washington would be an excellent fit on paper.
After the season, the Nationals will have Patrick Corbin coming off the books while helping create some more money for them to spend, and that money could go right to the polar bear.
Before the Mets emerged as a playoff contender and one of the hottest teams in baseball this year, there was some speculation that trading Alonso would have made sense. However, with the team going on a tear, they obviously nixed that idea.
Even though New York has plenty of money, it just doesn’t appear that they want to pay their first baseman a ton of money.
This season, Alonso hasn’t quite had the contract year that he would have liked, as he is hitting .244 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs. Compared to his previous two campaigns, it was a bit of a down year for Alonso. Also, the slugger’s WAR has only been 2.7 this season.
Even though it hasn’t been a 40-home run campaign for Alonso, he would fill a couple of voids for the Nationals as a first baseman and a middle of the order hitter with pop. Home runs have been an issue for Washington this year, as CJ Abrams leads the team with just 20 home runs.
While the asking price will certainly be high for Alonso, he would be a perfect fit for what the Nationals need to take the next step in 2025.
