Giants considering Pete Alonso – MLB trade rumors

The Giants have already made a big addition to the infield with the signing Willy Adamesand keep Matt Chapman He completely cornered the free-agent market by signing the third baseman to a six-year extension worth $151 million in September. With the Giants still considering big moves, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports: “Pete Alonso is on their radar” as a significant improvement to the first base/DH mix.

The way it looks LaMonte Wade Jr. will get the bulk of the first base at-bats as he is the left-handed batting side of a likely platoon situation. However, reports indicate that San Francisco is open to moving Wade and that the Giants have had some interest in signing him Paul Goldschmidt before Goldschmidt landed with the Yankees. Top view Bryce Eldridge is viewed as the long-term answer at first base, and with Eldridge making his Triple-A debut in 2024, a short-term signing like Goldschmidt as a bridge at the position made sense.

The addition of Alonso would only slightly change that direction. If Alonso were to assume the everyday first base role, Wade could be moved to the part-time DH role, and Wade is a free agent next winter, so he may not remain part of the Giants’ future plans. Eldridge played some in the outfield in 2023 but is largely viewed as a first baseman going forward, so he and Alonso could form a strong first base/DH combination even if such an agreement would tie up both positions for years to come.

There’s also the possibility that Eldridge becomes a big trade chip that the Giants can use to address other needs, or that Alonso wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term addition. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is hearing from various executives around the league that Alonso’s next contract could include an opt-out clause or two, which would allow Alonso to potentially re-enter the market as early as the 2025-26 offseason. Alonso’s agent Scott Boras has included such opt-out provisions in several of his clients’ contracts in recent years, in some cases creating an additional level of flexibility for teams and players who have not had ideal platform years.

One could argue that Alonso is coming off a relatively poor two years, having posted a solid but unspectacular 121 wRC+ since the start of the 2023 season. The first baseman hit 80 home runs and hit .229/.324/.480 in 1,353 plate appearances during that span while providing little value with his glove or on the basepaths. Clubs are generally becoming more cautious about committing big money to first base-only players, and Alonso’s increasingly homer-heavy approach raises questions about his overall offensive value.

Oracle Park may not be the best starting point for a right-handed batsman to re-establish his value, although Alonso’s options could become increasingly limited. The Yankees (Goldschmidt), Astros (Christian Walker), Diamondbacks (Josh Naylor) and nationals (Nathaniel Lowe) everyone responded to their needs right from the start. MLBTR’s Leo Morgenstern recently looked at Alonso’s market and named the Giants along with the Reds, Tigers and Blue Jays as possible darkhorse candidates for the slugger, along with the more obvious possibility that Alonso simply re-signs with the Mets.

In fact, most executives who spoke with Feinsand “believe an Alonso-Mets reunion is inevitable,” even if such a deal includes exit clauses. The Mets remain committed to both Alonso and him Alex BregmanSince then, the team has had an interesting selection of first-class corner infielders Mark Vientos can play first or third base, depending on who is signed. (Or it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the aggressive Mets could sign both Bregman and Alonso, with Vientos moving to DH.) The New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that “a significant gap” remains between Alonso and the Mets in theirs current negotiations.

Since both Adames and Alonso declined qualifying offers, the Giants would have to give up two more draft picks and another $1 million in international bonus pool money if they acquired Alonso as their new shortstop. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a hindrance, as the Giants already gave up two picks and $1 million to sign Chapman Blake Snell (two other eligible free agents) last offseason. RosterResource estimates that San Francisco will pay about $167.1 million in payroll and $207.5 million in luxury taxes in 2025. Therefore, adding Alonso is feasible, although it remains unclear how much ownership is willing to spend on next year’s roster.

The Giants’ pursuit of Corbin Burnes signaled that the club was willing to spend money again, although Slusser notes that they didn’t offer Burnes more than $210 million over six years when the righty was acquired from the Diamondbacks. In fact, Slusser characterizes the Giants’ courtship of Burnes as rather limited, writing, “San Francisco’s pursuit never went far beyond initial discussions at general manager meetings … and an offer made at that point did not get things started.”

President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey addressed the Giants’ next steps in a text to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, with Posey writing, “We believe in our young arms and feel that they are capable of making great strides. (We) will continue to look for players on the offensive side that will give us a chance to score runs in a variety of ways.”