The New York Mets have a gaping hole to fill at first base now that Pete Alonso is officially a free agent.
Will they re-sign the homegrown slugger to a long-term deal, or could someone like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays be acquired as his replacement?
Alonso has been with the Mets since 2019. His 226 home runs rank third on New York’s all-time list. He’s also stated how “special” it is to play for the Mets. But now that the slugger is on the open market, anything can happen.
While it feels like a reunion makes the most sense, there are predictions regarding Alonso’s ultimate destination saying the contrary. Only one of four writers think the Mets will re-sign him in MLB Trade Rumors’ yearly free agency rankings and predictions. The other three said he’d land with the Washington Nationals on a five-year, $125 million deal.
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If Alonso doesn’t find himself back in Queens, how should Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns proceed to fill that void in his lineup? Anthony McCarron proposed the following four-player trade that’d send Guerrero to New York during an episode of SNY’s Baseball Night in New York:
– Mets receive: first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
– Blue Jays receive: shortstop/outfielder Jett Williams, outfielder Ryan Clifford and utility man Jeff McNeil
On the surface, acquiring Vlad Jr. would plug the hole left by Alonso and then some. Guerrero hit .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs, 44 doubles, 103 RBI and 98 runs scored in 2024. However, acquiring a slugger like Guerrero would only serve as a short-term solution.
MLB Trade Rumors projects he’ll earn $29.6 million in his final year of arbitration. To justify the Mets hypothetically trading away two of their top three prospects for Guerrero, they’d have to immediately try to sign him to an extension. Spotrac estimates Vlad Jr.’s current market value for his next multi-year deal at 10 years and $259 million.
This also doesn’t consider the Blue Jays’ offseason to-do list. If they’re making a meaningful run at outfielder Juan Soto, trading Guerrero is unlikely to be a priority.
Inserting Guerrero into the Mets’ lineup is a tantalizing thought, but it feels unlikely now. It probably won’t be a serious consideration until Alonso signs his next contract, either.
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