The New York Mets still need a first baseman to replace Pete Alonso. While they continue to cobble together a platoon and attempt to make something work, the cold corner remains empty. This first-base free agent cycle lacks a starter. Instead, New York would need to bring in a platoon player to pair with Jared Young. With the power and production number expectations at first higher than just about every other position, combining for 20 home runs isn’t something the team needs to look for as a solution.
The Pasquatch connects 😮
Vinnie Pasquantino extends the lead for the @Royals! https://t.co/6BK4NSnLLF
— MLB (@MLB) May 2, 2026
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Royal Slugger?
Instead, trading for a player like Vinnie Pasquantino, the Kansas City (State of Missouri) first baseman, would fit right into the Mets’ plans. Mike Phillips from Mets On SI provides his reasoning.
“The Royals are in an intriguing spot because they have one of the best players in baseball, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., under contract on a long-term deal. The idea would be to try to build a winner to compete for a championship with Witt in his prime, but poor free-agent decisions and player development losses have left Kansas City’s roster thin.
Witt is the franchise, an MVP-caliber talent that the team needs to build around. Furthermore, the team also wants budding star Jac Calglianone to play first base. While the former first-round draft pick can play the outfield, the Royals want him to play every day without risk of injury.
It’s a double play 😤
Jakob Marsee unleashes a monster throw and Vinnie Pasquantino comes up with the scoop for Team Italy! #WorldBaseballClassic https://t.co/PyPGk33bZj
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 17, 2026
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Who is Vinnie Pasquantino?
Phillips opened a small snapshot on Pasquatino, a look into his last two seasons.
“Pasquantino, who starred for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, had a relatively down year by his standards, batting just .249 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI in 114 games. Pasquatino has significant upside; he slugged 32 home runs and drove in 113 runs in the 2025 campaign, but that is also the only season of Pasquatino’s big league career in which he has appeared in more than 131 games.
If you look deeper than the surface stats, the Royals first baseman tells a different story, a stronger case to join the Mets. Baseball Savant provides the stats. First, Pasquantino’s contact rates and his hitting style are impressive. First, few in MLB find the barrel with as much frequency; the lefty batter makes solid barrel contact an average of 8.9% of the time throughout his career. The MLB average is 7.6%.
Vinnie Pasquantino at the plate, that’s a scary sight! W Vinnie
— Zac (@Zaccornelius_) August 24, 2025
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Also, Pasquantino is a pull/middle hitter, with balls landing in those two zones 79.3% of the time. Now, that doesn’t mean that Pasquantino just wants to turn on the pitch. He’s shown the ability to hit multiple pitches. Granted, he should hit the fastball at this level. However, the 29-year-old also feasts on off-speed pitching. Last year, the southpaw hit .328 and slugged .534. Remember, the Royals were not a good team, finishing in last place in the AL Central.
Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals deal is for $11.1M over 2 years
$4,200,000 – 2026
$6,900,000 – 2027Plus incentives for $200K for 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances in 2027
BIG Awards bonuses
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 3, 2026
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What Should the Mets Send?
In all honesty, it may not take a substantial amount of trade capital to acquire Pasquantino. The Royals lack pitching. Jack Wenninger could serve as the centerpiece of any deal. The right-hander is the No. 8 prospect in the Mets organization. He could slide in as a starter into a rotation devoid of young talent.
Right hander Jack Wenninger had his best start of the season for Triple-A Syracuse tonight
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K. He threw 93 pitches (56 strikes) and generated 13 swing & misses https://t.co/EaqYHDCdlp
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) July 5, 2026
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If the Mets wanted to send back to Kansas City a slugger in return, they could ship prospects Ryan Clifford and Cole Mathis. Clifford flashes immense power but lacks basic bat-to-ball skills. Mathis could be a platoon piece. Either way, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns needs to try an aggressive approach when solving a massive problem.
Mets Encouraged to Trade for $11.9 Million Slugger to Play First Base in Bold Move