Reese Kaplan -- If the Polar Bear Leaves Then Who's Available?

Instead of looking back on what went wrong, let’s consider what needs to be done to prepare for the upcoming 2026 season given the personnel changes that will be taking place on the roster.  First and foremost is the opt out already planned for execution by Pete Alonso.  Given his experience last season when no one was beating down a door to get the opportunity to sign him, he reluctantly signed a pay-up-front two year deal with the opt out clause to ensure a proper payday before once again seeking to secure his long term financial future.

Going back to the 2024 season, Alonso was playing somewhat from a position of at best moderate strength.  He’d finished the 2023 season with some pretty monster numbers — 46 HRs and 118 RBIs though his batting average was paltry .217.  Then came his free agent “prove it” year in 2024 when things took a turn for the less impressive.  Yes, the batting average rose to a modest .240 but the run production numbers slid down to 34 HRs and 88 RBIs.  Opposing teams were probably thinking he was more Dave Kingman than Freddie Freeman.

With few interested parties looking to pony up long term and lucrative commitments, Alonso found himself back in Queens to enjoy Steve Cohen’s largess in this oddly shaped contract.  For 2025 he was paid $30 million but standing pat would see him lose $6 million for a 2026 salary of just $24 million.  Opting out was always the plan and after what he did in 2025 it was underscored with indelible paint.

Take a look at the 2025 numbers and you will see that Alonso had one of his best ever seasons which led to his 5th time as a National League All Star.  He finished with a very nice .270 batting average.  The homers went up slightly to 38 while the RBIs jumped to 126 despite no longer serving as the team’s cleanup hitter.  Obviously he proved what he’s capable of doing and it makes sense for him to test the market once again.

Obviously the Mets will make a concerted effort to be a player in the Alonso sweepstakes but they simultaneously must be considering what to do if he indeed finds greener pastures paved with greenbacks for another team.  What would Steve Cohen and David Stearns then do?

Well, the only good news in this scenario would be some financial flexibility as it’s conceivable he’ll be after a salary of around that same $30 million he was paid by the Mets in 2025 but for a longer period of time.  As a healthy player in his early 30s, it’s conceivable he’ll be seeking something in the 5-6 year range meaning a commitment of $150 to $180 million.  It’s a fair price given today’s salary patterns but with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and others receiving hefty paychecks, it might be time for the Mets to rearrange a bit how their payroll dollars are spent.  Towards that end the club needs to look at who might be out there to take over at first base while not necessarily being a swing-for-swing replacement for Pete Alonso. 

Internal Options

Mark Vientos did not reflect his surprising success of 2024 during this past season.  He remained defensively challenged and while sliding him across the diamond to assume first base duties is inexpensive and convenient, is he a .240 hitting 20 HR guy or can he be more?

Ryan Clifford is a left handed hitting slugger who combined between Binghamton and Syracuse for a 2025 season with 29 HRs and 93 RBIs.  Those were the good numbers.  The .237 minor league batting average was not.  He’s a credible piece as trade bait but not likely ready to take over at first base for the Mets.

Free Agent

Josh Naylor is almost the only option worth considering and he provides a very different look at what to expect from your first baseman.  At just 28 years of age, he’s younger than Alonso and is finishing 2025 making under $11 million.  For that he provided a .295 batting average, 20 HRs and 30 SBs.  That’s a very interesting combo for someone who won’t cost a huge fortune and could be expected to be a Met for a very long time.

Trade

Yandy Diaz is another interesting player who the Rays are likely to entertain as a trade option.  Already at age 33 he’s not going to be more than a 2-3 year solution but his numbers are interesting.  This current season he hit .300 with 25 HRs and 83 RBIs while earning $10 million.  He has a $12 million salary on tap for 2026 and while it would take player resources going down to Tampa to obtain him, the commitment is for a short term.

Personally I would find signing Naylor the most appealing option here.  Even if he obtained a 70% increase in pay he would cost more than 1/3 less than Pete Alonso while adding another speedster to the lineup.  He wouldn’t require any minor leaguers going back in trade.