The post-Pete Alonso era for the New York Mets may already be underway.
While the four-time All-Star first baseman hasn’t officially signed with another club, Andy Martino of SNY reported earlier this week that the Mets had begun their pivot away from pursuing an Alonso reunion.
Re-signing outfielder Jesse Winker can’t be the only trick the Mets have up their sleeves, though. If they aren’t planning to bring Alonso back, there has to be a Plan B that allocates the money they bookmarked for Alonso on something potentially better.
Though his contract may wind up bigger than Alonso’s, free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman could be that backup plan. The two-time All-Star was a Gold Glove defender in 2024 and could improve New York’s offense-defense balance on the infield.
On Saturday, Nick Ziegler of Houston Astros on Sports Illustrated expressed his belief that Bregman is a better fit for the Mets than Alonso, because of the way the team is currently constructed.
“While Bregman isn’t a first baseman, the Mets do have Mark Vientos prepared to make the flip back over to his natural position,” Ziegler wrote.
“This very well could be a better option for New York, as Bregman can provide a better glove and is a better overall hitter than Alonso.”
Bregman, who is entering his age-31 season, has 39.6 career bWAR, and though his offense hasn’t reached the heights of his early career in the last two seasons, he’s still been incredibly valuable. He had a .768 OPS, 26 home runs, and 4.2 bWAR in 2024.
Spotrac currently projects Bregman for a four-year, $119 million contract, which could prove to be a wise expenditure if he ages better than Alonso does. He’s a better athlete and plays a more premium position, so there’s justifiable logic behind making that choice.
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