Back in the spring, it was suggested that the New York Yankees might try to sign first baseman Pete Alonso in free agency, especially if New York Mets owner Steve Cohen managed to land All-Star outfielder Juan Soto.
However, SNY’s Danny Abriano wrote on Thursday that Cohen likely won’t have to choose between the two.
“A perfect storm is brewing for the Mets,” Abriano said. “They have a lot of money coming off the books before the 2025 season, a strong payroll situation for the next few years, and are ready to make a serious push for Soto, which could be the main focus of what will likely be an aggressive offseason.
It’s hard to imagine this becoming a battle between the Mets and Yankees, and I think the Mets will win.”
Many experts have pointed out that Cohen has enough financial power to outbid Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner for Soto and still address the Mets’ needs, especially after their unexpected run to the 2024 National League Championship Series.
At the same time, Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently mentioned that eight other teams besides the Yankees could be interested in Alonso.
According to TSN, Heyman also said on Wednesday that it’s possible the Mets could sign both Soto and Alonso. Abriano sees a scenario where Cohen re-signs Alonso, who has only played for the Mets since making his MLB debut in 2019, to a new deal.
“This is business for the Mets and Alonso,” Abriano said, “but there’s also some emotion involved. Unless Alonso’s market becomes too expensive, it makes the most sense for him to return to the Mets on a deal worth about $125M for five years.”
Alonso is one of the most beloved Mets players in recent years, and according to the Baseball Almanac, he’s just 26 home runs away from tying the franchise’s career home run record.
Some think Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns might suggest Cohen spread out his budget, but realistically, Cohen could have Stearns build around these star players by making value signings, similar to what Stearns did last offseason.
