The New York Yankees had a season-long problem at first base. That shortcoming came into sharp focus in October, when a hobbled Anthony Rizzo was held to two hits in a five-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was no surprise when Rizzo, 35, had his $17 million option declined for 2025. The Yankees are squarely in the market for a first baseman, and they might not have to look far to find their next one.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Yankees have already checked in on free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, who's spent his entire professional career with the New York Mets.
Alonso, 29, became a free agent after hitting 34 home runs, driving in 88, making his fourth National League All-Star team, and playing all 162 games for the Yankees' intracity rivals in 2024. He is represented by agent Scott Boras.
The Yankees have more needs than just first base. Outfielder Juan Soto is expected to command the most lucrative contract of any free agent this offseason - if not ever - after hitting 41 home runs, driving in 109, and reaching base at a .419 clip in his first season in the Bronx.
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It's difficult to imagine the Yankees matching or exceeding their 2024 success without Soto, who led the American League in runs scored batting ahead of captain Aaron Judge. Of course, the New York fan base would love nothing more than to see the Yankees capture a record 28th World Series title, and they will likely need more lineup depth beyond Judge and Soto to get there.
While the Yankees might have the resources to sign both Soto and Alonso, a bidding war could take even the most well-heeled team in baseball out of the bidding for one star or the other.
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Soto, 26, is a career .285/.421/.532 hitter in his career with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and Yankees - who acquired him in a massive six-player trade last December.
Alonso became an overnight sensation in Queens after hitting 53 home runs as a rookie with the Mets in 2019, a year in which he finished seventh in MVP voting and ran away with the NL Rookie of the Year award.
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However, Alonso is not as complete an offensive talent as Soto. He turns 30 in December and has seen his slugging percentage - his key attribute as a hitter - decrease in each of the last three seasons.
Still, for a Yankee team that has no better alternatives to play first base in 2025, the interest in Alonso is understandable - and makes for a good offseason headline in New York.