Mets’ Pete Alonso linked to AL West powerhouse

Along with the Mets, Murray named the Seattle Mariners as one of Alonso’s two best fits in free agency. The AL powerhouse entered Thursday just two wins away from reaching its first World Series in franchise history, but once the season ends, Seattle will have holes in the middle of its lineup; first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suárez are impending free agents.

Alonso, who turns 31 in December, will be among the best power bats available this winter, along with Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. The five-time All-Star batted .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs over 162 games in 2025. After just seven seasons, he sits atop the Mets’ all-time home run list with 264.

When Alonso entered free agency last winter, the Mariners were among the teams seeking help at first base. But the market for the 6-foot-4 righty slugger was sparse after his power numbers dipped across the board in 2024, leaving him unsigned until early February.

Alonso ultimately returned to Queens on a two-year, $54 million deal (including an opt-out) just days before spring training, while the Mariners opted to roll with a first base platoon. Seattle later aggressively pursued middle-of-the-order help at the trade deadline, sending a total of five prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks to acquire Naylor and Suárez in separate deals.

Naylor, 28, batted .299/.341/.490 and produced 2.2 bWAR in 53 games post-deadline, finishing the regular season with an .816 OPS, 20 home runs, and 92 RBIs. He also recorded +2 Outs Above Average defensively and, despite Statcast data showing that he runs slower than 97% of big leaguers, tallied a career-high 30 stolen bases.

Read More: Former GM cautions Mets about Pete Alonso’s free agency

Suárez, 34, matched his career high with 49 homers and drove in 118 runs during the regular season. However, he struggled to a .189 batting average in 53 games with Seattle before October and is 5-for-33 (.152) at the plate through his first eight postseason contests.

If the Mariners were to take a swing at Alonso this winter, he would likely grab the cleanup spot in the order behind AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh and three-time All-Star Julio Rodríguez, who typically bat second and third. Dominic Canzone has been Seattle’s primary DH in October but also played 70 games in right field this season, offering future flexibility in case Alonso’s defense declines long-term.

According to Spotrac, Naylor is projected to command a little more than $15 million annually on a multi-year deal this offseason. Alonso, on the other hand, is reportedly seeking a seven-year contract and carries a market value of $29.4 million per year.