The New York Mets have a need at first base and one MLB analyst believes they should pursue former New York Yankees slugger Anthony Rizzo.
MLB analyst Grant Young of Sports Illustrated believes the Mets should pursue Rizzo if they can’t reach a deal with Pete Alonso.
“However, the deal still isn’t done,” Young wrote. “And it’s not hard to imagine that if some team offers Alonso the amount of years he’s looking for (which the Mets are reluctant to do right now), he would spurn New York and sign elsewhere. In this case, the Mets would need to find someone else to fill their current void at first base. And there’s one player who is well acquainted with New York that could be a sort of last-resort option. Former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo.”
Rizzo would be a much cheaper option than Alonso and is also a lefty bat. Although Rizzo isn’t as good of a bat as Alonso, Young believes the move makes sense.
Rizzo has been a free agent since the Yankees declined his option. The first baseman was set to earn $17 million in 2025 before New York declined his option.
Rizzo hit .228 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs with the Yankees in 2024 as he dealt with injuries. Alonso, meanwhile, hit .240 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs.
Rizzo a Low-Risk Signing For Mets
Young believes Rizzo is a perfect buy-low spot for the Mets.
Rizzo struggled to stay healthy in 2024, but Young thinks if he can stay healthy he would be a good fit for the Mets.
“Rizzo does have a career .275 batting average and staggering .928 OPS against the Mets in his career and could be poised for a bounce-back campaign in 2025. Spotrac projects Rizzo will receive a two-year, $5 million deal this offseason. This could make him a low-risk, potentially high-reward free-agency candidate for the Mets,” Young added.
As Young writes, Rizzo would be a cheap option for the Mets and wouldn’t be expected to be a middle-of-the-order bat for New York.
However, the Mets are still engaged in talks with Alonso. So, if they do sign him, it would likely end the chances of New York signing Rizzo.
Yankees Replace Rizzo with Goldschmidt
New York decided to sign Paul Goldschmidt to be the team’s starting first baseman in 2025.
Goldschmidt will replace Rizzo at first. The former NL MVP says he’s thrilled to join the Yankees and play in the Bronx.
“I’m very excited to be part of the franchise and the history they have,” Goldschmidt said. “Every baseball fan, especially as a kid, knows what they’ve been able to do. All the World Series titles – not just in baseball, but their prowess across professional sports. I was a teenager when they were winning all those World Series with [Derek] Jeter and all those guys.
“I’ve been pretty fortunate to play with a lot of guys that have spent some time in New York with the Yankees, and I think that stuck out in this process when it started to become time to make a decision. I don’t remember hearing a bad thing about the Yankees. All the players that have played there spoke very highly about everyone in the organization, the city and the fan base,” Goldschmidt added.
Goldschmidt hit .245 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024.
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Analyst Urges Mets to Sign Former Yankees Slugger to Fill Major Need