Cubs linked to Mets $174 million superstar in potential free-agency stunner

Are the Chicago Cubs in play for any impact free-agent signings this winter?

The Cubs need power, and there's really no other way to say it. Ian Happ led the club with 25 home runs in 2024, and in total, the Cubs' 170 home runs ranked tied for 20th in Major League Baseball.

Pete Alonso, the four-time All-Star first baseman from the New York Mets, would be an ideal fit for Chicago. He's clubbed 226 home runs since the start of the 2019 season, second in all of baseball behind only Aaron Judge.

On Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post linked the Cubs to Alonso as an option for the first baseman amid a dwindling market for his services.

"After a 48-hour frenzy of first base signings/trades (Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, Josh Naylor, Nathaniel Lowe), potential options include the Giants, Mariners, Rangers, and Angels, and possibly the Cubs or Red Sox if they open up first base via trade," Heyman wrote.

As Heyman intimates, the Cubs would likely have to make a trade to facilitate acquiring Alonso. The most direct route would be dealing first baseman Michael Busch, but Chicago seems to value the young lefty's power potential.

Otherwise, the Cubs could trade Nico Hoerner and move Busch to second base (iffy defensive proposition, but crazier things have happened), or move Seiya Suzuki to open up designated hitter at-bats.

The real kicker is the money. Alonso's Spotrac market value projection is six years, $174 million, which seems realistic at this point, since he hasn't yet landed the $200 million-plus he once sought. 

Alonso would bring a level of raw power the Cubs simply haven't had the last few seasons. He's a worthwhile addition, but it's admittedly hard to envision Chicago's brass handing out a deal that hefty this winter.