Last season was an unmitigated disaster for the Yankees at first base, as they got a deplorable -1.1 fWAR and 76 wRC+ from that position group in 2024. While the free-agent market is chock-full of potential options for Brian Cashman to look into, he revealed that the team has already talked to Scott Boras about Pete Alonso. Before anyone reacts to that; it’s important to note that in any conversation with an agent, doing your due diligence on what a player is looking for is standard procedure for an organization.
The 29-year-old slugger clubbed 34 home runs for the Mets last season with a 2.1 fWAR, the lowest mark he’s had in a full 162-game season.
Yankees’ Brian Cashman Has Checked in On Pete Alonso
There are few hitters as proficient as generating the longball as Pete Alonso, who has hit 226 home runs since his MLB debut in 2019, the second-most in baseball only behind Aaron Judge. While the Yankees would greatly benefit from his services in a vacuum, Alonso’s asking price would likely be well above whatever the team is willing to commit at the moment.
Juan Soto’s impending free agency creates a real problem for the Yankees and their pursuit of any other top free agent, as they likely have most of their financial resources on hold to see if they can retain their star outfielder. As for Alonso, there are legitimate reasons to worry about how he’ll age after his 2023 and 2024 seasons. Outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, these are the two worst years of Alonso’s career in both WAR and wRC+.
READ: Yankees keeping all options open in infield, including retaining free agent infielder
While Alonso is still second among first basemen in home runs over those two years (80), he has averaged under 2.5 WAR a season and is just 8th among 23rd qualified players at his position in wRC+ (121). For a player who will demand a nine-figure deal, his combination of good but not great play and the trajectory of his offensive output would suggest that teams should be wary of a long-term commitment.
Defensively, there isn’t much for Pete Alonso to provide in a positive manner, with -24 Outs Above Average and -18 Fielding Run Value in his big-league career. This year was his worst defensive season to date in terms of OAA and FRV, which in combination with the offensive numbers is a massive red flag. The Yankees could still use a first baseman, and if they either lose Juan Soto in free agency or see Pete Alonso’s market crash, they could re-visit this in the future.