New York Mets considering first base platoon as Pete Alonso replacement

In the wake of Pete Alonso's departure, the Mets are considering a veteran platoon to anchor first base.

May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Mets may have just hit rock bottom this offseason.

Just a day after inexplicably letting closer Edwin Diaz walk to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets lost their All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso. The franchise's all-time leader in home runs officially ended his tenure in Flushing on Wednesday by signing a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Earlier in the offseason, Mets On SI reported that the Mets were expected to move on from Pete Alonso unless he took a team friendly deal

Alonso instead gets five-years, $155 million from the Orioles

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) December 10, 2025

Read More: What's next for the Mets after losing Pete Alonso

Alonso's departure leaves a gaping hole both at first base and in the Mets' lineup, as the Polar Bear had provided much needed protection for superstar outfielder Juan Soto. To further exacerbate this, the other first base options on the free agent market are slim.

With the prospect of losing their cornerstone slugger now a reality, David Stearns and the Mets' front office may need to get creative to find adequate production from first base. One idea they've reportedly considered, however, is extremely suboptimal.

Mets considering platoon of Jeff McNeil and Paul Goldschmidt at first base

According to Tim Healey (a former Mets reporter) of The Boston Globe, the Mets have internally discussed a solution at first base in the event that Alonso walked. This involved employing a platoon of utility player Jeff McNeil and current free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt; McNeil would earn starts against right-handed pitching, while Goldschmidt would hit against southpaws.

The Mets always seemed lukewarm at best about bringing back Pete Alonso this offseason.

One first-base solution they’ve floated internally: a platoon of Jeff McNeil (who plays everywhere) and free agent Paul Goldschmidt.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) December 10, 2025

McNeil, of course, is a longtime Met who can play almost anywhere but has a somewhat streaky bat. Last season, the 33-year-old hit .243/.335/.411 with 12 home runs, 54 RBI, and a 111 wRC+ for his best offensive season since 2022 (when he won the MLB batting title). McNeil hit a bit better against righties, with a .755 OPS against them as opposed to a .712 OPS against lefties.

As for Goldschmidt, the 38-year-old spent the previous season across town with the Yankees and slashed .274/.328/.403 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI, 76 runs scored, and a 103 wRC+. In comparison to McNeil, Goldschmidt's righty-lefty splits were far more extreme; he struggled greatly against righties with a .247/.289/.329 slash line, but crushed lefties to the tune of a .336/.411/.570 clip and 169 wRC+.

Why a Goldschmidt-McNeil platoon is a bad idea for the Mets

Sep 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) throws the ball to first base for an out during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Although both McNeil and especially Goldschmidt are accomplished hitters in their own right, rolling with this as a replacement for a franchise icon like Alonso would not only further aggravate an already angry fanbase, but also make very little sense for the direction the Mets are taking.

Read More: Mets' David Stearns under fire after Edwin Diaz Dodgers contract reveal

It goes without saying that the Mets are competing for World Series titles with a core led by Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor. But if David Stearns' philosophy is to maximize the prime years of his players (as evidenced by his preference for short-term, high AAV contracts), then going with a McNeil-Goldschmidt platoon is directly counter-intuitive to that because both of these hitters are clearly past their prime.

A combination of McNeil and Goldschmidt would produce less than Alonso would at any point of the contract he just signed with Baltimore; even the back-end years would feature more production from the Polar Bear. If the Mets' backup plan is this platoon, they would have been much better off keeping Alonso and not worrying about his decline until it actually comes, especially with the team in win-now mode.

Additionally, while this platoon would presumably be for just 2026, the Mets have to be wary about maximizing the prime years of the core they plan on rolling with. While this is far less of an issue with Soto due to having him for 14 more years and the slugger only being 27 years old, the Mets have less time to capitalize on Lindor's remaining peak because he is 32 years old (a year older than Alonso).

Fortunately, there are other options the Mets could turn to to solidify first base, most notably Japanese sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, as well as outfielder Cody Bellinger (who is capable of playing first base). However, all of these players carry inherent questions and risks as well, far more than simply signing Alonso to the long-term contract he wanted and ultimately got.

In the end, the Mets' consideration of a thoroughly ineffective platoon like this is indicative of the production they will be missing with Alonso gone, now having a lineup that will be much easier for opposing pitching staffs to navigate.

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