Forget Pete Alonso! Ex-Mets GM reveals his plan for first base

There’s a growing sentiment that the next big Mets move should be re-signing Pete Alonso.

It makes sense. Alonso, 30, adds protection for right fielder Juan Soto and lengthens an imposing lineup. Few MLB teams would have a more potent top five or six hitters.

Former Mets general manager Zack Scott disagrees. He said so on Monday when he quote-tweeted a clip from SNY’s “Baseball Night in New York” where a panel of guests, including Scott, debated Alonso’s future with the Mets.

“As usual, I’m a wet blanket on signing Pete to a big deal,” Scott wrote on X/Twitter. “Find a short-term solution, and then go big on (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) next winter!”

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According to The Athletic, Alonso is projected to sign a five-year, $130 million contract, $28 million less than the Mets offered to extend him ($158 million deal over seven years) under the previous regime, per The New York Post.

The belief is that Alonso, a Scott Boras client, is seeking a contract in the $200 million range. The problem is that this would make him the highest-paid first baseman in the game and he’s coming off of an unimpressive walk year.

Alonso is one of the most feared power hitters in the game, his 226 home runs trailing only Yankees captain Aaron Judge (232) since Alonso first debuted in 2019.

Alonso is also beloved by his teammates and fans at Citi Field. Mets owner Steve Cohen also has a sense of loyalty to his players and would see value in having a lifelong Met cross the 500 home run threshold in blue and orange, making the price tag on this is difficult to calculate.

There’s also the issue of the first base market, which is quite dry. Besides Alonso, the most highly sought-after first baseman is Christian Walker, a 33-year-old right-hander who compares similarly to Alonso. The next three first basemen (Carlos Santana, Paul Goldschmidt and Justin Turner) have an average age of 38 years old.

Guerrero Jr. would be a favorable option, but he’s not available this year. He’ll also command a much larger contract than Alonso and doesn’t carry the goodwill the Met lifer has in Queens.