Philadelphia Phillies 'Checked In' on Slugger Before He Re-Signed With Rival

The Philadelphia Phillies made multiple moves this offseason, and when it came down to it, they were one of the teams interested in another premier free agent.

New York Mets first base Pete Alonso hits a two-run double during the third inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a solid offseason, making acquisitions such as Jesús Luzardo, Max Kepler, Jordan Romano, and Joe Ross. With that said, they were in on some of the other premier free agents in the offseason and were one of the final teams involved on a highly coveted power bat later in the process.

Pete Alonso ended up returning to the New York Mets this offseason on a two-year, $54 million deal after testing his options during free agency. Many reports came out about potential suitors for the four-time All-Star, with a litany of teams having varying levels of interest, but ultimately he stuck with what he knew.

Now that the deal is closed, the New York Post's Jon Heyman (subscription required) was able to do an exclusive article with him discussing the offseason process, and what went into his decision. In this piece, Heyman would discuss the other candidates involved in trying to sign Alonso, where the MLB insider would state:

"The Angels, Giants and Phillies checked in over the winter, but some teams offered one year. The Yankees very much appreciate Alonso," Heyman wrote.

This makes sense as Bryce Harper had previously stated he would have moved to the outfield if the Phillies acquired Alonso. It is more intriguing to hear about the fact that multiple teams had offered one-year deals, as despite Alonso being 30 years old now, the signs of regression in his game are very minimal.

Philadelphia would have had a hard time justifying another power bat with Kyle Schwarber already in the mix however, especially considering they are already near the top of the salary cap tables. Heading into the 2025 season they rank third in total payroll allocations, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. At $278 million, they have substantial money currently tied up in their premier players.

With that said, the team will be running back a similar starting lineup to last season, as Kepler in left field is likely the only change at this moment. While Alonso may have raised the ceiling of the roster and provided additional power, the lineup is already heavily in favor of the power bat, and focusing more on fleshing out the depth was where the team would focus instead.

It is clear that the Phillies are all-in on this 2025 season, with all but three of their starting batters above the age of 30, and a substantial amount of players becoming free agents in 2026, it is now or never for this team.