Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Targeted New York Mets' Pete Alonso in Free Agency

While the Philadelphia Phillies' interest in Pete Alonso never reached a serious level, the club did at least check in on the All-Star slugger before he returned to the New York Mets.

Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) plays his position against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Pete Alonso has been back with the New York Mets for just over a month now, but rumors from his tumultuous time in free agency continue to trickle out.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Philadelphia Phillies "checked in" on Alonso while he was still on the open market.

Heyman's report falls in line with comments Bryce Harper made in an interview with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal earlier in the week. Harper said he told the front office he was willing to move back to the outfield if the team wanted to acquire another first baseman, going as far as mentioning Alonso by name.

"When Pete (Alonso) was on the block still, I kind of sat there and was like, ‘Hey, why not?’" Harper said, per Rosenthal. "When we talked about it, I kind of just reiterated to (the Phillies) and Scott (Boras) that I’m willing to move out there if it’s going to help us. I love playing first base. It’s been great. But if it’s going to help us win, I’d go back out there."

Had the Phillies added Alonso and moved Harper to the outfield, short-term free agent addition Max Kepler likely would have moved to the bench. One of Harper or Nick Castellanos – both right fielders by trade – would have had to play in left, perhaps rotating with Kyle Schwarber at designated hitter.

The Toronto Blue Jays were the other known contender that made an offer for Alonso before he accepted a two-year, $54 million contract from the Mets in early February. The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals were all linked to Alonso as well, to varying degrees.

Alonso was named an All-Star for the fourth time in 2024, despite posting one of the least productive seasons of his career. He hit .240 with 34 home runs, 88 RBI, a .788 OPS and a 2.6 WAR across 162 games.

Since winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, Alonso is a .249 hitter with an .854 OPS. Alonso's 226 home runs and 586 RBI lead all National League players over the last six seasons.

Baseball Prospectus' preseason PECOTA Standings are projecting the Mets to go 91-71 in 2025, while the Phillies are expected to finish 86-76. The model has New York as the top NL Wild Card and Philadelphia as the first team out of the playoff picture.

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