New York Mets’ slugger Pete Alonso is having a stellar season, priming him for a big payday when he hits free agency once again this winter.
Alonso settled for a two-year, $54 million deal with the Mets after testing free agency last offseason. There were too many questions surrounding the “Polar Bear” then, but he won’t have to deal with skeptical teams this winter thanks to his .271/.349/.524 slash line with 33 homers and 113 RBI.
He’s basically a lock to opt-out of the last year of his contract and test the open market for the second straight year. And the Yankees could be interested, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The Alonso offseason sweepstakes
So, could the Yankees actually land Alonso? Here’s what Heyman had to say on a Sept. 3 livestream with Bleacher Report (h/t Sports Illustrated).
“Potential other teams [aside from the Mets for Alonso], I mean, you’ve got to say the Yankees, right? I do think the Yankees are a potential [team] for Alonso,” he said. “There is a connection there, Hal Steinbrenner from Tampa, also a Florida Gator.”
He added: “Alonso, I do think the Yankees are a possibility. [Paul] Goldschmidt is in his last year.”
The Yankees were reportedly interested in Alonso last offseason, but they ultimately decided to sign former NL MVP first baseman Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million contract.
Still, according to SI, Heyman said the Mets are the best fit for Alonso for two reasons.
The fan base loves him, and he hits behind a generational superstar in Juan Soto. That’d certainly be hard to give up.