Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) leaves the field after being defeating by the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross
The Phillies "checked in" on Pete Alonso during his prolonged free agent stint this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Ultimately, Alonso signed a two-year/$54 million deal to return to the Mets, a pact that will pay him $30 million in 2025 and allows him the ability to opt out of his contract next winter. He also got to remain with the team that he's clubbed 226 home runs for in six years.
Heyman's report about the Phillies at least doing their due diligence on Alonso this past offseason comes on the heels of Bryce Harper telling Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic last week that he would be willing to move back to the outfield if the team signed a star first baseman.
“I talked to [the Phillies] this offseason about that, just in case a guy was available [at first] that we needed to have, needed to get,” Harper said. “I’d be more than open to it if we had a guy like that, who was going to change our lineup or change the demeanor of our team. They like me at first base. But I’d go out there to have a guy who was going to play first base and hit 35 or 40 homers.
“When Pete [Alonso] was on the block still, I kind of sat there and was like, ‘Hey, why not?’ When we talked about it, I kind of just reiterated to [the Phillies] and Scott [Boras] that I’m willing to move out there if it’s going to help us. I love playing first base. It’s been great. But if it’s going to help us win, I’d go back out there.”
Bryce Harper says he'd return to outfield if Phillies signed star first basemanhttps://t.co/lMrlzVSHi2
Rosenthal went on to write in his story that "the Phillies never got serious about Alonso." That leads you to believe a few things.
First of all, there probably was an element of this of the Phillies trying to keep Harper happy by checking in with the four-time All-Star first baseman after he suggested it. And while he no doubt understands how good of a player Alonso is, it is fair to wonder if Harper would have nudged the Phillies if Alonso wasn't also represented by Boras.
Secondly, the key sentence in Harper's two-paragraph quote to Rosenthal was probably when he said "they like me at first base." Harper may have a willingness to go back to the outfield in the right circumstance, but the Phillies moved on from a fan favorite in Rhys Hoskins because they thought first base was the best spot for their franchise player to be at. Not only is it less stress than playing in the outfield, but Harper performed really well as a first baseman in 2024, posting five defensive runs saved and seven outs above average.
Ultimately, while the Phillies could sure use the right-handed bat of Alonso, they likely didn't want to move Harper off first base. Nor did they want to surrender draft compensation to sign Alonso — who declined a qualifying offer from the Mets — if there's a chance he opts out and leaves next offseason. Of course, they could have given him a long-term deal to prevent that possibility, but the Phillies clearly weren't of the mindset to hand out another megadeal this past offseason.
It's funny, 34 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .788 OPS for Alonso last season — in addition to postseason heroics that led the Mets to a shocking NLCS berth — was considered a down year. He's still only 30 years old, so there's a chance that he puts together a huge season hitting in the same lineup as Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor and returns to free agency next offseason. At that point, he wouldn't be eligible to receive a qualifying offer, so it wouldn't take giving up any draft picks to sign him.
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From @TimKellySports ⬇️https://t.co/cHX4Zrr3TW
So while Harper's quote about a willingness to move to the outfield has fueled speculation about the possibility of the Phillies pursuing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter, perhaps Alonso could also be a consideration. It seems impossible to imagine Alonso in red pinstripes, but the same was once said about Harper.
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