Yankees Were Never a Real Threat to Swipe Pete Alonso From The Mets

Pete Alonso was never going to land with the New York Yankees despite speculation that it could happen after the Mets signed Juan Soto.

Jul 4, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Mets will most likely never have to live in a reality where Pete Alonso goes to their cross-town rival and hits 50+ home runs a season at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees, on the other hand, are going to now have to deal with Juan Soto continuing his Hall of Fame track over the next 15 years in Queens.

And despite industry speculation that if Soto went to the Mets, the Yankees could retaliate by luring Alonso to the Bronx, that blueprint was reportedly not in the cards at any point.

According to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, the Yankees were never interested in Alonso even prior to their acquisition of 37-year-old first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Before they got Goldschmidt, the Yankees actually tried acquiring Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians, per Castillo. This deal never came to fruition as Naylor was instead dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman did reveal back in November that he had spoken to agent Scott Boras about Alonso. But it's clear that it was more of a due diligence check-in to get a sense of what his upcoming market might look like.

The Yankees have checked in on Pete Alonso, per @NYPost_Mets pic.twitter.com/JxgCAcatyx

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) November 5, 2024

Fast forward to today, Feb. 2, and Alonso is still on the open market with just two weeks until spring training begins.

Alonso has had talks with the Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants. However, the 30-year-old power-hitter's market has not materialized the way he had hoped. As of this date, no deal seems to be close.

Now, Alonso is destined to have to settle for a short-term deal with opt-outs. His best bet is having a monster campaign in 2025 before re-entering free agency in search of a long-term deal next winter.

Alonso and the Mets remain as the best match for each other. That said, Alonso's free agency saga has dragged on and could only continue to drag longer.