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Pete Alonso has 226 career home runs, and with one more typical season in Flushing, could pass Daryl Strawberry’s all-time New York Mets mark of 252 home runs.
Alex Bregman is one of the five greatest players in Astros history, having helped Houston to win four AL pennants and two World Series titles in nine seasons.
It would feel wrong for either to leave the only teams they’ve ever played for while they are still All-Star-caliber players. But there seems to be a distinct possibility that happens with one or both as each are still free agents.
Alonso is coming off a relatively down year, but he still hit 34 home runs and had a monster postseason as the Mets made a rather shocking run to the NLCS. That the Mets are holding so firm on Alonso—Joel Sherman and Dan Martin of the New York Post say they’ve offered a three-year, $68-$70 million deal—seems a bit strange from here.
Yes, power hitters may not age well, but he’s only 30. Is there anyone who thinks that if you sign Alonso for four or five years that that deal would become an albatross? Or at least, couldn’t they up the money Alonso is making if he takes a short-term deal with opt-outs?
Notably, though, the Mets haven’t yet made other concrete plans. Their best team in 2025 would still include Alonso playing first base and protecting Soto in the lineup. Could they roll with Mark Vientos at first base and some combination of Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña and Nick Madrigal at third base? Sure, but the team would be worse for it.
As for Bregman, the Astros are pretty well set up even if he doesn’t come back, having acquired Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker this offseason. Houston hasn’t ruled out shifting Paredes to second base and having Jose Altuve try to play left field if Bregman ends up back, but they’d likely feel pretty good with Paredes at third base and Walker at first on Opening Day if things play out that way.
There have been conflicting reports this offseason about the level of interest that the Boston Red Sox have in Bregman. The Tigers—led by A.J. Hinch, Bregman’s first manager at the MLB level—have been seen for much of the offseason as the most likely landing spot if the two-time All-Star leaves Houston. But clearly they haven’t put an offer on the table that blows Bregman away either.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that in addition to the six-year, $156 million offer that the Astros have made to Bregman, he