Pete Alonso's Signing With Orioles Proposes Astros Mock Trade With Mets

On Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles dropped a bombshell of a signing, acquiring free agent first baseman slugger Pete Alonso for five years, $155 million.

Alonso, 31, a five-time All-Star, had been with the New York Mets since his MLB debut in 2019. This signing sent shockwaves across the MLB. Not only did the Mets lose All-Stars Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, they also lost their Polar Bear. Their new second baseman Marcus Semien acquired in the Nimmo deal is essentially past his prime.

Where Are The Mets Going?

These sudden changes to the Mets raise many questions of where they are headed coming into the 2026 season. Firstly, who will take the infield spot at first base? This is where the Houston Astros come into play. Alonso's departure may have triggered a possible deal for Houston.

How The Astros Can Capitalize On The Alonso Signing

The Mets losing their everyday first basemen may bode well for Houston's goal in trading for a starting pitcher. Rumblings have circled around the Astros roster that they are open to trading some of their key players for starting pitching. The winter meetings proved it.

With the acquisition of Carlos Correa to temporarily replace the then injured Isaac Paredes last year, the Astros infield is a bit overcrowded.

Currently, Houston's expected 2026 everyday infield consists of Correa, Paredes, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes, and Christian Walker. Doing the math, trying to cover five infielders over four slots isn't going to work. Somebody's gotta be moved.

If we are going over merit based, Walker is the ideal candidate to be moved. He's a multi-time gold glover and hits for power, smashing 27 bombs last season.

The downside? Walker will be 35 next year, struck out 177 times in 154 games sporting a .238 AVG with a .717 OPS and a measly 97 OPS+ last season. At a 0.2 WAR, He was hardly a factor in producing wins on the Astros and it's not wrong his home runs can be looked at as empty stats. Overall, he is a complete downgrade for the Mets.

If the #Astros wish to trade from their crowded infield, moving Christian Walker may be difficult:https://t.co/i3iUk996fp pic.twitter.com/uik32tRGYF
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 10, 2025

The Astros vying to trade their struggling first basemen to a team in exchange for a quality starting pitcher won't be easy. Walker's current trade interest around the league has been minimal.

Walker Alone Won't Make This Work

Christian Walker of Houston Astros walks off field, — Aug 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) tosses his bat after striking out during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On the Mets side, trading a starting pitcher for a package centered around Walker would be a questionable move for the Mets to say the least. To make this a win-win situation, ideally, the Mets would likely prefer to take Paredes over Walker instead. Paredes has surprisingly been in trade talks as well, mainly because of his age, team control, and his impressive 2025 season before it was cut short.

Given Paredes’ strong season, his second All-Star nod, and multiple years of team control at age 26, Houston shouldn’t even entertain a trade unless the return is significant.

The only leverage the Astros have against New York is to fill their slot at 1B with quality defense. To make a Walker trade scenario even worthy for the Mets to take a look would likely consist of adding quality prospects or young players with long years of team control. Here is what a Walker trade would look like:

Trade Scenario

Mets receive: 1B Christian Walker, OF Jacob Melton, and RHP Miguel Ullola and cash to match the deal

Astros receive: RHP Kodai Senga, LHP Jonathan Santucci

Why This Benefits The Astros

Kodai Senga of New York Mets throws pitch against — Mar 22, 2023; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Clover Park. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Astros would need to sweeten a potential Walker deal, given his low trade value, in order to acquire Senga. Senga, 32, is under contract at 15 million dollars per year through 2027, with a team option for 2028. He finished the 2025 season with a 7 and 6 record and a 3.02 ERA in 22 starts across 113 innings, which is strong production for a reliable number 2 arm behind Hunter Brown.

Senga's had a few injuries since making his MLB debut in 2023, with a recent hamstring injury in June 2025. Luckily it didn't turn into something serious. Overall, a quality starting pitcher, and definitely something the Astros should entertain in trade discussions with the Mets.

Jonathan Santucci is currently in the Mets farm system and ranked #14 top prospect with an expected MLB debut in 2027. Drafted in the 2024 MLB draft in the second round, Santucci has already made the Double-A roster.

At 6'2, Santucci has three pitches, a fastball ranging 92-96 mph, a slider 82-85 mph, and a changeup filling in the low 80s. While there isn't significant heat on his pitches, Santucci piles up the strikeouts in the minors, putting away 138 batters in 117.2 innings with a 3.06 ERA last season.

Whether or not this trade happens, Santucci's potential has Dana Brown written all over it.

Why This Benefits The Mets

On the Mets side, they not only have a first basemen replacement, but also get two former prospects in Melton and Ullola, both are MLB ready for next season. Melton can fill in the outfield hole and Ullola can fit in the Mets rotation or start as a long reliever. This possible trade can turn into a win-win situation for both teams.