Pete Alonso or not, Mets must add another legitimate bat this offseason

With about a month to go until Spring Training starts, the Mets and Pete Alonso are still playing a game of chicken, waiting to see which side blinks first.

On the Mets' side is David Stearns, whose philosophy partially revolves around not giving out big deals in terms of years to players who are 30 or older -- something he has held firm on when it comes to pitchers (Corbin Burnes and Max Fried are recent examples of free agents Stearns passed on) and position players.

On Alonso's side is Scott Boras, who had a brutal offseason a year ago and has done much better this time around. But it seems that Boras could be overplaying his hand when it comes to Alonso.

According to numerous recent reports, Alonso continues to look for a long-term deal, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post reporting on Wednesday that the slugger wants "at least" six years. That report came on the heels of one from Bob Nightengale of USA Today that said Boras was using Prince Fielder's nine-year, $214 million contract (that he signed in 2012) as a comparison for what Alonso should get.

The above shouldn't come as a surprise, since Boras said on the record last year that he didn't consider the deals signed by Matt Olson (eight year, $168 million extension in 2022) and Paul Goldschmidt (five-year, $130 million extension in 2019) to be fair comparisons when it came to what Alonso should receive.

But despite the desires of Alonso and Boras, it is incredibly difficult to envision any team offering Alonso six years -- or even five -- at this point. Even before Alonso had two straight down seasons ahead of reaching free agency for the first time, the market had shifted when it comes to what slugging first basemen get.

To sum it up, it is utterly fanciful to think any team that has so far balked at what Alonso wants is going to all of a sudden give in this late in the offseason.

And even though a reunion between Alonso and the Mets continues to make all the sense in the world, both sides are in a precarious spot.

For Alonso, it feels like people are twisting themselves into a pretzel trying to find a fit for him that makes sense that isn't the Mets. Especially considering the deal Alonso eventually signs could be a relatively short one with opt-outs.

The Angels make no sense, unless Alonso simply doesn't care about winning or stability. The Mariners would make some sense, but have shown no willingness to spend (and their cavernous ballpark is a poor fit). The Giants could be a rational landing spot, but -- like the Mariners -- play in a ballpark that would likely be undesirable for a right-handed power hitter looking to boost his value before hitting the open market again. And on and on we go.

For the Mets, the danger here is obvious. They need another legitimate bat to help protect Juan Soto in the lineup, but there isn't a better fit via free agency and trade other than Alonso.

Free agent Alex Bregman makes sense if he doesn't get a six-or seven-year deal, but he very well might get one of that length from the Blue Jays, Tigers, or Red Sox.

Beyond Bregman, the potential impact bats on the free agent market are few and far between, with Anthony Santander among them. But Santander is a poor defender whose addition would lead to Brandon Nimmo shifting back to center field -- unless the Mets planned to use Santander as a DH. So his fit is dubious.

On the trade market is Nolan Arenado, whose star has fallen the last three seasons as his OPS has dipped from .891 to .774 to .719. Arenado is still a plus defender at third base and could rebound offensively -- and the cost to acquire him would be relatively low -- so perhaps he makes some sense. But the risk is immense, unless the Cardinals eat a large chunk of the money he's owed on a contract that runs through 2027.

Also available via trade is Padres infielder Luis Arraez, who SNY's Andy Martino reported is more of a fit for the Mets than Yankees. But the Mets are already loaded with middle infield/third base options, Arraez is a poor defender who offers very little when it comes to power, and is set for free agency after the season.

Then there are middle-tier free agent options such as Jurickson Profar, Jesse Winker, and Alex Verdugo.

Profar brings positional versatility and offensive upside (134 OPS+ in 2024), Winker fit in very well with the Mets down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, and Verdugo is a plus defender who could be due for a bounce back offensively.

It needs to be noted that the Mets, even after the enormous Soto signing, are not all-in for 2025 in a way that should lead them to do something stupid for the sake of "going for it," which would mean giving out a free agent deal they don't want to and/or sacrificing a ton of talent in a trade that isn't the right one.

Teams that are sustainable winners don't get that way or stay that way by making rash moves.

Alonso or no Alonso, the Mets will be a legitimate World Series contender this season. And their hope is that last season was Year 1 of a sustained run of winning under Stearns and Steve Cohen.

Of course, after recounting what Alonso's free agency saga has been to this point and the Mets' external lineup options without him, it is again clear that the Mets need Alonso just as much as he needs them.

The reunion should happen, but only will if it's viewed as sensible by both sides.

Perhaps that means the Mets offering a four-year, $110 million deal with opt-outs that includes a fifth-year team option that could bring it to roughly $138 million.

The above would give Alonso a chance to equal the extension he reportedly turned down during the 2023 season, and give the Mets the huge bat they need back in the middle of their lineup.