3 NY Mets alternatives to signing Pete Alonso that would’ve been a complete disaster

It's safe to say we're glad Pete Alonso is back in the blue and orange. After a rollercoaster offseason of negotiations and "backup plans," the Mets re-signed Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal. That deal has paid off handsomely thus far, evident by his flaming success halfway through 2025. Had the deal not come into place, though, what would have come of those backup plans? None would be as good as Alonso has ended up being, but would there end up being an upside to any of them? Here are three Alonso backup plans that would be going horribly wrong:

1) Willy Adames

Any team too invested in Adames this past offseason was in over their heads, and the Giants are the ones paying the price. They've been good, but they've had a difficult time at the plate this season, and Adames is a big reason for that struggle. The first year of his 7 year, $182M deal with San Francisco isn't going as planned; he's slashing just .224/.309/.391 with a 98 wRC+ in 98 games.

The Giants were well aware of the risk they were taking when they signed Adames. He's been an above-average hitter throughout his career, but he's never consistently put up good enough numbers to warrant a seven-year deal. Adames is better suited as a stopgap shortstop for a contending team rather than a long-term piece. The reason why league-wide interest wasn't stronger was rooted in many teams' hesitation to offer him a big contract.

The issue for Adames, of course, can be the change of scenery; going to any larger market team than Milwaukee can shake up a guy's game. But if the lights in San Francisco are too much for Adames to handle, New York certainly wouldn't have been any better for him.