3 emergency NY Mets trade targets if Pete Alonso signs elsewhere

Pete Alonso has been the New York Mets’ first baseman for the last six seasons. He’s established himself as arguably the best power hitter in baseball. Alonso is a career .249/.339/.514 with a 138 wRC+. Only Aaron Judge tops Alonso’s 226 home runs since 2019. But now he is a free agent. While he hasn’t signed with another team yet, and the Mets seem interested to bring the slugger back into the fold, they should think about what potential alternatives there could be if he signs elsewhere. So, who would be the Mets’ best options on the trade market?

1) Josh Naylor

Josh Naylor has become one of baseball’s better first basemen. His 2024 campaign was one of the best seasons of his career. Naylor has gotten some trade attention from some other teams, including the crosstown rival Yankees. If he is still on the market and if the Mets need to find an Alonso alternative, then Naylor will be one of the best options out there.

Last season, Naylor turned in a .243/.320/.456 triple-slash. His ‘24 campaign was his best season for power, as he went yard 31 times with a .213 isolated slugging percentage. Naylor has never been one to strikeout much either and had just a 16.6% K-rate. However, he also walked in a career-high 9.2% of his plate appearances. Between his power and strong plate discipline, Naylor put up a .332 wOBA and 118 wRC+ across 633 trips to the dish.

Naylor might even have more in the tank. In 2023, he had a .842 OPS, .354 wOBA, and 127 wRC+. His .246 batting average on balls in play was significantly lower than his career average of .282. Naylor did not have a huge change in barrel rate (8.4%) or exit velo (89.9 MPH) compared to 2023 either (8.2% barrel rate, 89.1 MPH exit velo) when he had a .326 BABIP.

Defensive metrics were mixed on Naylor’s glovework. Defensive runs saved saw him as a below-average glove with -6 DRS. Outs above average was more kind in this regard at +1. But Naylor has always been seen as a solid defensive 1B. This is the first year he has put up negatives in DRS at first base, and he has never been seen as a below-average defender in OAA.

Naylor only has a single year left on his contract and becomes a free agent after 2025. The first baseman is projected to make $12 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors’ estimations. While Naylor is only a short-term solution as of right now, he is the best one-year rental at first base.