With each passing day without a new agreement, the chances of the New York Mets re-signing Pete Alonso diminish. The gap between Alonso’s and the Mets’ offers remains significant. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants have expressed interest in the 2019 Rookie of the Year, and it seems the San Diego Padres could be watching closely as well. General manager A.J. Preller is always on the lookout for ways to strengthen the team and isn’t hesitant to spend.
With Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim hitting free agency, the Padres may focus on investing in a first baseman over addressing outfield or infield needs. Acquiring Alonso is certainly a possibility, especially since the team has yet to sign a free agent to a Major League contract this offseason. Preller aims to refresh the roster after narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
Signing Alonso, who has an average of 3.3 WAR per season, would move the Padres closer to dominating the National League West. Few teams can offer Alonso the contract he desires, but the Padres are in a position to do so. If we look at the lineup from Game 5 of last season’s NLDS, the top half could feature: Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Pete Alonso, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill. Very few pitchers would be effective against such a lineup, which combines elite power with on-base skills, positioning the Padres as a formidable contender for the next season.
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