San Francisco Giants Free Agent Target Reportedly Nearing Deal With AL Team

The San Francisco Giants may be on the cusp of losing their top free agent target to an American League team.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) hits a single in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have made several major moves this offseason, including handing out the largest contract in franchise history, but they might not be done.

Someone who was seen as a potential ideal target for the Giants entering free agency was New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso, but it always felt more likely than not he was going to return to the Mets.

The longer the Alonso sweepstakes have gone on, however, the more likely it's become for the first baseman to leave New York and sign a deal elsewhere.

Naturally, this has led to San Francisco being connected to him, once again, with the intriguing potential of the pop he would add into the Giants' lineup.

But if they really want to add Alonso, they had better get in a hurry.

According to numerous reports, the Toronto Blue Jays may be closing in on a deal with the slugger as they try to make another splash themselves.

"I am told the talks [Alonso] is having with the Toronto Blue Jays are advancing," Andy Martino of SNY said on Thursday. "I'm hearing they're at the 10-yard line ...I know that's more than a rumor that [Toronto] is interested ... they're talking, there's something really there."

The insider went on to add there are still hurdles to clear between the Blue Jays and Alonso's representation, but reaffirmed the talks are very real and the two sides are actively engaged.

Since Alonso entered the big leagues in 2019, his 226 home runs are second in baseball only to two-time MVP Aaron Judge, who ironically the Giants fell just short in striking a deal with when he became a free agent two years ago.

Alonso is certainly not close to the same player that Judge is, but he does hit a comparable amount of home runs and would not come anywhere near the same type of cost.

The allure of Alonso is intriguing for a San Francisco team which has not finished better than middle of the pack in terms of total team home runs in a very long time.

Signing the star slugger, alongside Willy Adames in the same offseason, suddenly takes a lineup which didn't strike a ton of fear into anybody, straight into a one of the most dangerous groups in all of baseball.

By the sounds of it, however, the Giants had better get to it if they want to beat out Toronto for the services of one of the best home run hitters on the planet.