The New York Mets and New York Yankees will be deep in competition during the 2024-25 offseason. Both teams are expected to be at the top of the list for superstar Juan Soto, making it likely that the slugger stays in New York in some shape or form. However, the two won’t just battle it out for him.
The Yankees have reportedly shown interest in Mets’ Pete Alonso, and a reunion in Queens for the home run hitter isn’t out of the picture. There’s a real scenario where the Yankees and Mets could swap stars this winter, an intriguing scenario to watch out for.
That’s exactly what happened in David Brown’s latest prediction, which had the Mets landing Soto for $702 million over 13 years.
“Soto set himself up for the biggest payday in MLB history after batting .288 with a .419 on-base percentage and .569 slugging for the Yankees in 2024. Not to mention a career-best 41 home runs, 129 walks, a league-leading 128 runs scored and 109 RBIs,” Brown wrote on November 13.
“And Soto didn’t even turn 26 until October, when he helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series since 2009. Even if he doesn’t eclipse $700 million, the value of his contract almost certainly will exceed Shohei Ohtani’s heavily deferred deal.”
He later added that Alonso would sign with the Yankees due to them losing Soto in his prediction. His contract was predicted to be $180 million over six years.
“If they can’t land Soto, the Yankees will take from the Mets. At age 29, hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 homers—the fewest of his career. Posted the weakest isolated power (.219) of his career, and the highest ground-ball rate (42%). One of the five best hitters at his position since 2019, but is closer in value to Rhys Hoskins than top dog Freddie Freeman,” Brown wrote.
Yankees’ Interest in Alonso Will Come Down to What Soto Does
The New York Yankees’ biggest priority this winter is re-signing Soto. They saw the benefits of having him on the team after making the World Series, and their plan should be to get back there.
However, free agency allows him to leave. If the New York Mets come in with a bigger offer, he might decide to leave the Bronx.
Until that happens, Alonso likely won’t sign with the Yankees, unless they plan on raising their payroll by a significant amount.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote that the Yankees would be a good fit, but their interest will come down to what Soto does.
“Like the Mets, the Yankees’ interest in Alonso will likely hinge upon their ability to bring Soto back into the fold. New York declined its option on Anthony Rizzo for 2025, leaving Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu as the current internal first-base options,” Feinsand wrote on November 12. “It would be surprising if the Yankees didn’t add a first baseman this winter, but if they’re able to re-sign Soto – on a deal that is expected to exceed $500 million – it seems unlikely that they would spend what it takes to land Alonso.
“Should Soto sign elsewhere, however, Alonso could be an appealing power option to stack in the middle of the lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, particularly since there won’t be any questions about his ability to handle New York’s bright lights.”
Are Soto and Alonso Comparable?
While Alonso has put together a very impressive career for himself, hitting 226 home runs since making his debut in 2019, comparing him to Soto would be unfair.
Soto had the best season of his career with the New York Yankees, but his numbers before that were still among the best the game has ever seen. His career 160 OPS+ is nearly 15 points higher than Alonso’s best in a single season, which indicates which player the Yankees should rather have.
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Yankees Predicted to Swap Superstars With Mets in Free Agency