Getty Yankees manager Aaron Boone could use some more offense out of first base. Could Mets slugger Pete Alonso be a realistic option?
The New York Mets could be sellers at the trade deadline for the second straight season. If this happens, first baseman Pete Alonso could be one of many players that president of baseball operations David Stearns tries to move. Is there any chance Alonso switches boroughs and finishes 2024 with the New York Yankees?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic named six teams as possible destinations for Alonso if the Mets trade him. “Pete Alonso is expected to be the biggest power bat traded at the deadline,” he said. “The Astros, Mariners, Yankees, Giants, Cubs and Twins are possible landing spots for the three-time All-Star. If the Mets trade Alonso, they will still make a concerted effort to re-sign him this offseason. They love the Polar Bear, and he loves New York.”
Alonso’s offense has struggled at times this season, but he remains one of baseball’s best power hitters. He’s hitting .240/.321/.476 with 14 home runs, 16 doubles, 32 RBI and 37 runs scored through his first 277 plate appearances.
Alonso Would Be a Huge Upgrade for the Yankees
The Yankees are among baseball’s best teams this season. While they only have a 2.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East, it has nothing to do with recent play. Manager Aaron Boone’s club has won eight of its last 10 games and is 47-21 on the year.
One area the Bombers could look to upgrade ahead of the deadline is the right side of their infield. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and second baseman Gleyber Torres haven’t performed as expected offensively. Bowden has mentioned this possibility previously and brought it up again in his June 11 report.
“The Yankees will be monitoring the right side of their infield with hopes that first baseman Anthony Rizzo (.624 OPS) and second baseman Gleyber Torres (.640) start providing more offensive production than they have over the first two-plus months of the season,” he said. “If they don’t, the Yankees will at least consider upgrading there at the deadline.”
While Alonso’s offense has struggled at times, he’d still be a significant upgrade compared to Rizzo’s 2024 production. He’s hitting .224/.285/.339 with seven homers, seven doubles, 25 RBI and 29 runs scored through 267 plate appearances.
The Yankees Need to Remain Aggressive Down the Stretch
While New York is one of the league’s top teams, their situation makes it hard to get comfortable. Entering June 11 games, the Yankees’ 2.5-game lead over the Orioles is the smallest of any division. And since Baltimore is fresh off a 101-win campaign in 2022, there’s no inclination of them slowing down.
FanGraphs odds favor the Yankees to win the division (73.5%) over the Orioles (26.2%). However, anything can happen over the final few months of the regular season.
The Bombers will get a boost once staff ace and reigning American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole returns. But obviously, the goal for the Yankees isn’t simply to reach the playoffs. It’s to make a deep run into October and compete for a championship. Continuing to not get optimal production out of Torres and Rizzo could hinder that. So, it’d make sense for general manager Brian Cashman to remain aggressive when supplementing his roster before the trade deadline.