Since they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last week, most conversations surrounding the New York Yankees have centered on whether or not they will be able to keep Juan Soto in the Bronx.
Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Soto may not be the only big fish on the Yankees' radar, however.
The MLB General Manager Meetings got underway Tuesday, one day after free agents were allowed to start negotiating with new teams. Naturally, Yankees general manager and senior vice president Brian Cashman was one of the first executives to attracted a scrum of reporters.
Cashman confirmed that he had spoken to Soto's agent, Scott Boras, about possibly retaining the 26-year-old All-Star. He was then asked if another one of Boras' clients, longtime New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, came up during their call.
"Yeah, sure he did," Cashman responded. "(Boras) has a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace and certainly Pete did an amazing job with the Mets. So had a brief conversation with Scott about a lot of his – he has a lot of free agents, which is normal, and Pete's one of them. So yes."
Alonso, who turns 30 years old next month, has spent the past six seasons starring for the Mets. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has been named an All-Star four times, leading the National League with 226 home runs and 586 RBI in that span.
This past season, Alonso hit .240 with 34 home runs, 88 RBI, a .788 OPS and a 2.6 WAR, making it his least efficient campaign in the big leagues thus far. His bat came to life in October, though, as he blasted four home runs and posted a .999 OPS across 13 postseason games.
Alonso will by no means be a cheap addition – Spotrac has his market value at $174 million over six years, while MLB Trade Rumors is predicting that he will ink a five-year $125 million deal. Still, considering Soto could wind up landing a $500 million or $600 million contract, an Alonso deal could prove to be a bargain.
The Yankees currently have a hole at first base, since they declined their $17 million club option on 35-year-old veteran Anthony Rizzo and allowed him to become a free agent. When Rizzo was out with an injury during the ALDS, New York rotated utility men Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti at first base, which surely cannot be their plan for 2025.
Perhaps they will turn to Alonso to take over at first base, whether Soto comes back or not, but the free agent market is still relatively dormant after 24 hours.
