Mets' Potential Pete Alonso Replacements Revealed by Insider amid Contract Rumors

If the New York Mets lose Pete Alonso this winter, they will have a number of options for the first base position.

One option would be an internal replacement. As Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote, "it wouldn't be out of the question for the Mets to upgrade defensively at second base and ask Jeff McNeil, a left-handed batter, to play some first base (perhaps among other spots, given his versatility), people familiar with the club's thinking suggested. It's likely the club would also think about Mark Vientos (right-handed batter) and Brett Baty (a left-handed batter) as first-base options, too."

None of those moves would likely impact the Mets all that negatively from a defensive perspective. Sammon already reported that if Alonso does return, the Mets they'd would "likely need him to see some more time at designated hitter than he has in the past, people familiar with the club's thinking suggested."

Offensively, however, losing Alonso would be an enormous blow. The 30-year-old hit .272 in 2025 with 38 homers, 126 RBI, 87 runs and an .827 OPS. It was the sixth time in Alonso's seven-year career that he exceeded the 30-homer mark, and the only time he didn't was the COVID-shortened 2020 year.

He's also exceeded 100 RBI four times and has fallen below an .800 OPS just once. Suffice to say, there will be a market for his services.

It's possible that the Mets may simply prioritize upgrading defensively over replacing Alonso's offensive production, however. As Sammon noted, the Mets are weighing the possibility of bringing Alonso back with the clear offseason goal of improving defensively. Those two things may not align.

If they don't, it wouldn't be surprising if the Mets went with an internal option at first base and used their resources more defensively.