Inside The Mets

Mets Free Agent Pete Alonso 'Still in Play' for Toronto Blue Jays

Even after signing Anthony Sander, the Toronto Blue Jays are rumored to still be interested in free agent Pete Alonso.
Logan VanDine|
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates his three run home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates his three run home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York MetsToronto Blue Jays

Despite signing outfielder Anthony Santander, the Toronto Blue Jays seem to still have rumored interest in New York Mets free agent first baseman Pete Alonso.

According to Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports, the Blue Jays are ''still in play" for Alonso even after landing All-Star outfielder Santander on a five-year contract worth $92.3 million. Last week, Toronto was reportedly in discussions with the power-hitting first baseman, along with two other teams.

Toronto's reported interest in Alonso may be because fellow first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to be a free agent after the 2025 season, but Toronto is also reportedly looking to sign their slugging first baseman to a long-term deal. Still, the Blue Jays have other potential positions Guerrero can play, like his natural position at third base (despite his poor performance there) or being their team's designated hitter. So it seems like they're not completely in or out as a suitor for Alonso.

In his first go-around on the open market, the Polar Bear has failed to gain much traction from teams across the league after having a down offensive season in 2024. While he did end up appearing in every regular season game for New York, the 30-year-old showed regression as he slashed just .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs, 88 RBI, and a career-worst .788 OPS. Aside from the COVID-shortened 2020 season, his home run and RBI total from 2024 are the lowest he's had in the regular season since making his major league debut in 2019.

Even though the Blue Jays got the big bat that they needed in their lineup in Santander to go along with Guerrero, they've shown a willingness to bid for high-profile free agents (such as pursuing Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki earlier in the offseason). With this in mind, Alonso's free agency can begin to gather more momentum if he shows mutual interest in playing north of the border.

Published
Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

Home/News