As good as the New York Yankees have been in 2024, they are expected to strive for even greater excellence by the MLB trade deadline on July 30, and the New York Mets could assist their crosstown rivals in doing so.
As Julian Guilarte of Fan Nation’s Inside the Mets reported, MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic identified the Yankees as a “possible landing spot” for Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
The Yankees and Mets could make a Pete Alonso trade work for both parties
Alonso is in his sixth season in the majors. He is one of baseball’s best power hitters and may form an unbeatable trifecta at the plate alongside former 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge and current AL MVP frontrunner Juan Soto.
The Mets’ franchise player has question marks around his name, and his long-term future with the team is just as uncertain as it was in 2023. Alonso is in his final year of arbitration and will be eligible for free agency in 2025, with a market that will almost certainly enhance his value beyond the $20.5 million the Mets paid him for this season. The Mets are projected to be big sellers at the deadline. They might use this opportunity to cut bait with Alonso and avoid the long-term agreement that would be required to keep him in Queens, NY.
How could the Yankees integrate Alonso into the fold with their financial reservations?
The Yankees might take advantage of the Mets’ unsettled predicament by offering a trade for the Florida native. The disadvantage of trading for Alonso is that the Yankees would only have him for half of the season before having to re-sign him or watch him leave next winter. In terms of compensation, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to keep salaries under $300 million through 2025 and beyond. He already has to worry about resigning Soto, which might push up his bill significantly.
Regardless, Alonso’s slugging prowess — 38 runs, 14 home runs, and 32 RBIs in 281 at-bats — would rank him fourth in the former two categories and fifth in the latter if he were now with the Yankees. There is obviously room for Alonso on the Bronx Bombers, and he could replace Anthony Rizzo in time to make an even better run through the second half of the regular season and into the playoffs.
