Juan Soto is the Yankees’ top priority in free agency, but he’s not the only Scott Boras client who could be of use to the team.
On Tuesday, Brian Cashman said that he spoke to Boras about Soto on Monday. When asked if Pete Alonso’s name also came up during that chat, the Yankees general manager answered in the affirmative.
“[Boras] has a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace, and certainly, Pete did an amazing job with the Mets,” Cashman told reporters “So I had a brief conversation with Scott about a lot of his — he has a lot of free agents — which is normal, and Pete’s one of them.”
As Cashman mentioned, it’s standard procedure for the Yankees to check in on big-name free agents. But doing so with Alonso will create buzz given the first baseman’s connection to the Mets and the fact that he plays a position of need for the Bombers.
The Yankees recently declined Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million team option– which came with a $6 million buyout — creating an opening at first. While the Yankees could reunite with Rizzo, a leader in their clubhouse, they could certainly improve the position after the veteran endured two injury-plagued, unproductive seasons.
“To wear this jersey is something special I wish every baseball player gets to feel,” the 35-year-old Rizzo said after the Yankees lost the World Series. “I’ve loved every second of it.”
Alonso’s bat would be a huge upgrade over what the Yankees have gotten from their first basemen over the last several years.
Rizzo, who has also lost a step in the field, posted a .237/.315/.358 slash line with 20 homers and 76 RBI while battling concussion symptoms and multiple fractures between 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, Yankees first basemen have combined for a 101 wRC+ since 2016, Mark Teixeira’s last year with the club.
Alonso, meanwhile, had a 122 wRC+ in 2024, a down year for the 29-year-old. The righty swinger also hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 homers and 88 RBI. While several of those numbers were career-lows, the Yankees would have loved to have had Alonso’s offensive production.
His glove, on the other hand, is not particularly strong. Of 17 qualified first basemen, Alonso ranked 13th in Defensive Runs Saved (-3) and 14th in Outs Above Average (-8) and Fielding Run Value (-6) in 2024.
If the Yankees achieve their goal of retaining Soto, it’s unlikely they’ll be in play for Alonso. However, the homegrown Met could be a fallback option, especially if the Mets end up being the ones to spend on Soto.
There are a few other free agent first base options for the Yankees, including Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt, though they’re on the older side. The Yankees could also explore trades for players like Josh Naylor, Yandy Díaz and Nathaniel Lowe.
Internally, there’s Ben Rice, but he didn’t do enough to claim the position in 2024.
