3 best free agent options for the Mets to replace Pete Alonso if he signs with another team

The uniform Pete Alonso will wear in 2025 is up in the air with several possible scripts of how it will end. Does he stay with the New York Mets through 2024 and eventually return on a new deal? What about getting traded mid-season before returning as a free agent? Then there’s the possibility of getting traded and never returning or finishing the season with the team and signing elsewhere.

Rumors of him rejecting a 7-year contract this offseason should have us feeling a little more pessimistic about his future in Queens. While not a final straw, we’ve seen this before. Michael Conforto is one of the most well-known position players to reject a favorable offer.

The Mets have a lot of areas they can go to replace Alonso. One is to sign another free agent. Aging veterans like Paul Goldschmidt are set to become available, but he doesn’t crack this list of the best available choices to fit what the Mets are trying to do. If the Mets go on the hunt for a new first baseman, it’s these three they should choose between.

3) Ryan O’Hearn

Easily the least well-known on this list, don’t discount Ryan O’Hearn and his sudden rise with the Baltimore Orioles. After several unsuccessful years with the Kansas City Royals, O’Hearn made his way to the Orioles where he has completely turned around his career. Developing into a low strikeout player who does himself a lot of favors by drawing walks, he seems to fit in well along the same lines as DJ Stewart.

O’Hearn can also play the corner outfield spots as well as first base. The Orioles are using him regularly as their DH in 2024, a consideration for the Mets as well next season although it shouldn’t be an everyday thing. He doesn’t offer quite the same amount of pop.

Through 140 plate appearances, O’Hearn is slashing .276/.343/.488. He has 7 home runs and 18 RBI. The most interesting thing about his offensive output is he has 13 walks and strikeouts each. Last season in his breakout campaign he had 15 walks versus 82 strikeouts.

It’ll be interesting to see how much money and how long of a deal teams are willing to give a late bloomer like O’Hearn. If used correctly, possibly in a part-time platoon alongside someone such as Mark Vientos at first base, the Mets could get some solid production at a lower cost.

The best thing to like about him is that he’s not aging quickly like Paul Goldschmidt. Someone past Mets teams would sign to help sell tickets, O’Hearn fits more into the type of move David Stearns would make. Likely a platoon player on any future Mets team, it would allow someone such as Mark Vientos exclusive starts at first base whenever the team faces a left-handed pitcher.

1) Christian Walker

A two-time Gold Glove winner, Christian Walker has amazingly been around the league for ten seasons. It wasn’t until his age 28 campaign in 2019 when he began to see regular playing time with the Arizona Diamondbacks. “Balanced” is probably a good way to describe Walker. He’s averaging around a .250 batting average for his career with an OBP circling .330 and slugging percentage near .460—all subject to change based on this year’s performance.

Walker is a free agent at the end of the year and will embark as a nomad ahead of his age 34 season. Several years older than Alonso, Walker isn’t going to be awarded any sort of gigantic and long contract like the Polar Bear is looking for.

So far Walker has batted .262/.357/.455 in his first 227 plate appearances. Adding 10 home runs and 33 RBI along the way, he is well on his way to earning a fat contract in free agency.

Signing Walker would give the Mets a significant piece for the lineup while upgrading the defense. It would prove they plan to contend without eating up too much of the payroll. Walker could easily cost nearly as much as Alonso per year but with a far shorter number of seasons they’ll need to pay him. To think he was placed on waivers by three different teams in early 2017.