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The New York Yankees are interested in signing Pete Alonso, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, making him perhaps the best Anthony Rizzo replacement on the market.
“Still a $ gap in Bellinger trade talk with Yankees and Cubs as of this minute. It’s a matter of “who blinks first,” if ever. Still could happen but Yanks also considering Alonso, Walker, C. Santana, J. Naylor, N. Lowe, probably others,” Heyman wrote on December 15.
Regarding any contract for Alonso, the Yankees will have to consider whether he’s worth that money or if they’d be better off spending less on someone else. Alonso has the best counting stats out of any of the first basemen available, but that doesn’t mean a different one couldn’t be a better fit.
Alonso could also return to the New York Mets, making this another competition between the two New York teams.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes that will be the case, predicting Alonso will re-sign with the Mets.
“Where do you go after signing Juan Soto to a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million deal? If you’re the Mets, possibly back to the high end of the free-agent market to bring back Alonso.
“The Mets would “love” to have Alonso back, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns. It’ll cost nine figures to re-sign him, but whatever. Even after adding Soto, next year’s Mets are still projected well shy of what they spent on payroll this year,” Rymer wrote on December 16.
Alonso Could Sign Short-Term Deal
There’s a scenario where a few of the remaining free agents on the market could take a short-term deal for high AAV.
If Alonso would be willing to do that, the New York Yankees and New York Mets could prefer it. Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote that the Mets could prefer that, adding how it could help them build the rest of their roster.
“That might mean the Mets prefer homegrown star Pete Alonso to return on a shorter deal rather than conceding entirely if Alonso’s desired figures run on the long end.
“That might mean a reluctance to go five years, possibly even four years, for Sean Manaea, a pitcher they’d like to re-sign. And it might mean wanting Walker Buehler, someone who’d fit in well with them, for something like a one-year deal with an option rather than a straight multiyear pact,” Sammon wrote on December 16.
The Yankees could also give him the deal he’s looking for to help poach him from the Mets.
Alonso Has Interest in Signing With Yankees
Many New York Mets stars have avoided playing for the New York Yankees, while the same could be said for Yankees players not wanting to play for the Mets.
However, that’s changed a bit in recent years, and according to Heyman, Alonso has “some interest” in playing for the Yankees if the Mets don’t give him what he wants.
“Alonso, beloved by Mets fans, is also said to have some interest in going to the Yankees if the Mets never seriously engage with him,” Heyman wrote on December 11. “(The Yankees also might not mind poaching Alonso after their $760M bid to retain superstar Juan Soto was topped by the Mets’ winning offer of $765M.)”
If there’s interest from both sides, he could eventually be on his way to the Bronx.
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