Long-Rumored Chicago Cubs Target Agrees To Reunite With New York Mets

Someone who has been rumored as a Chicago Cubs target throughout the winter is now off the board after agreeing to a deal with the New York Mets.

Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a solo home run in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There were plenty of areas on the roster the Chicago Cubs needed to target this winter, but first base was not one of them.

That was a complete shift in how people viewed that position previously, and a lot of it had to do with the successful rookie year Michael Busch had last season.

With him under club control for the foreseeable future, the affordability of his contract combined with the potential for him to become a Silver Slugger winner before he hits the open market made the possibility of the Cubs spending money on a first baseman very unlikely.

Still, that didn't stop Chicago from being linked to Pete Alonso.

The star slugger hit free agency this offseason in hopes of getting a lucrative contract, but it soon became clear that he and his agent might have misread the market for his services.

Alonso remained available deep into the winter until Andy Martino of SNY reported the power-hitter agreed to a contract that keeps him with the New York Mets. Multiple reports, including one from Jeff Passan of ESPN, state the deal is for two years and $54 million with $30 million coming this season and a player option present for 2026.

That news likely does nothing for the Cubs.

Again, they're very happy with their current situation at first base, and even though the addition of Alonso would have been nice on paper, it also wasn't financially practical or logical from a roster construction standpoint.

So, with the slugger now reuniting with the Mets, the long-standing rumors that linked Alonso to Chicago throughout the offseason can finally be put to bed.