Surprise offseason suitor is emerging for Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso may be getting an opportunity this winter to change leagues.

The Houston Astros have emerged as a surprise suitor for the New York Mets slugger Alonso when he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday. Heyman notes that the Astros continue to show their willingness to spend and will reportedly consider a run at Alonso this winter.

As it stands right now, the five-time All-Star Alonso holds a $24 million player option for the 2026 season. But he is universally expected to decline that option, especially on the heels of a superb 2025 campaign during which Alonso is hitting .267 with 30 home runs and 108 RBIs through 134 games.

Meanwhile, the Astros already spent a lot of money last offseason on first baseman Christian Walker, who landed a three-year, $60 million contract from them. So while paying up for Alonso on top of that would be a major surprise from Houston (a team that also has Yordan Alvarez entrenched at designated hitter), it appears that the Astros are considering doing just that.

Alonso, 30, almost left the Mets in free agency last winter before agreeing to a new 1+1 contract to remain in New York. That said, Alonso should be able to draw much greater interest this winter thanks to the well-rounded season that he is currently putting together.

Just before Alonso agreed to his new deal with the Mets last offseason, we heard that there might be some surprise suitors for him. But a run at Alonso by the 2022 World Series champion Astros would be the greatest surprise yet.