With the 2025 season behind us and the Hot Stove ready to burn, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most prominent players eligible for free agency.
Name: Pete Alonso
Position: First baseman
Team: New York Mets
Age (as of Opening Day 2026): 31
2025 stats: 162 games, .272/.347/.524 (.871 OPS), 38 HR, 126 RBI, 87 R, 144 OPS+, 3.6 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs)
Qualifying Offer: No
Pete Alonso’s second run at free agency should feature a more welcoming marketplace than his first go-around.
Yes, he is a year older, but after a far more productive 2025 campaign, Alonso — who does not have a qualifying offer attached to him this time — should find more teams willing to engage in conversations than he did a year ago. After hitting 34 home runs with 88 RBIs and a .788 OPS in 2024, he bounced back with 38 homers, 126 RBIs and an .871 OPS this past year.
“Alonso has put himself in a superior position relative to last offseason, that much is clear,” said one National League executive. “To what extent is the more intriguing question.”
A number of teams that considered Alonso last offseason could do so again, and between his superior season and the lack of a qualifying offer, he could find a more lucrative market.
“Not having the qualifying offer will be huge for him,” an American League executive said. “Teams that might not have considered him last year may think differently now.”
Let’s take a look at how Alonso’s offseason might play out:
METS
Alonso has never worn another uniform during his seven-year career, and after becoming the Mets’ all-time home run leader this past season, he’s continued to feel the love from the New York fan base. The Mets and agent Scott Boras have held preliminary discussions already this winter, but it remains to be seen whether president of baseball operations David Stearns will be willing to give Alonso the long-term deal he desires, especially with Mark Vientos representing an in-house option to replace him at first base.
RED SOX
Boston shed a huge salary with last season’s trade of Rafael Devers, and with Alex Bregman back on the free-agent market, the Red Sox have ample room on the payroll for another star (or two). If Bregman returns, it reduces the chances of a pursuit of Alonso, but the Sox could use some more pop in the lineup — especially at first base — and the Polar Bear is one of the top power bats available.
ORIOLES
Baltimore plans to spend on pitching this offseason, but adding a power bat is also on the Orioles’ potential wish list. Ryan Mountcastle is entering his final year before free agency, and while Samuel Basallo is slated to see time at first base and DH, he and Alonso could share time between the two positions, keeping both bats in the lineup.
PHILLIES
Philadelphia’s No. 1 priority appears to be re-signing Kyle Schwarber, but if the National League MVP runner-up signs elsewhere, Alonso could be a target to replace the slugger. Signing Alonso would mean either moving Bryce Harper back to right field, or using Alonso and Harper as a first base/DH combo, but adding a big bat should be in the cards for the Phillies if they’re unable to retain Schwarber.
NATIONALS
Unlike the rest of the teams on this list, the Nationals haven’t been to the postseason in a while, their last trip coming during their 2019 World Series championship season. Washington has a solid young core of players, but it would benefit from a veteran star to help take the next step. The Nationals ranked 13th in the NL in runs scored last season (687), getting a .680 OPS from their first basemen — 79 points below league average.
EXECUTIVE TAKE
“I think it’ll be similar to last year, but there are also fewer big-bat options available this winter than there were last winter, so there may be more teams willing and able to give him what he wants. It’s interesting because he is a year older, but also a year deeper in his career and he has continued to produce — so that could cut either way. I think he ends up doing better than last winter, at the end of the day. But it’s hard to say how much better.”
BUYER BEWARE
Alonso’s prodigious power will interest a number of teams, and while he’s as durable as they come — he hasn’t missed a game since 2023 and has missed a total of 24 games in seven seasons — his defense at first base has been an issue. Alonso had a -9 outs above average in each of the past two seasons and has posted a positive number in OAA and fielding run value just once each in his career, both in 2021. He’s apparently willing to spend more time at DH, which should help his free-agent case.
FOR COMP’S SAKE
There are some excellent players on the market, but Alonso and Schwarber are the only two premier power bats. Without the qualifying offer, Alonso should be able to secure more than two years, though how many more remains to be seen. Since 2019, only four first basemen have landed deals of five years or more, and four of those came via extension. The lone exception was Freddie Freeman, who inked a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers in 2022; that $27 million AAV was the same that Alonso got from the Mets last winter.
