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The Chicago Cubs did not meet expectations in 2024. They could look to add one of the New York Mets' free agents this winter, but perhaps not Pete Alonso.
FanSided's Christopher Kline urged the Mets to "skip out on" Pete Alonso and pursue Sean Manaea instead.
"Manaea, on the other hand, gives the Cubs more depth behind Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele in the rotation. The quickest path to contention these days is a dominant pitching staff," wrote Kline. "Manaea brings valuable experience on what could end up being a bargain contract. Point blank, he should be the Mets free agent most prominently on Jed Hoyer's radar."
Spotrac projects Manaea to sign a four-year, $64 million deal in free agency after he declined his $13.5 million option. Kline cites Alonso's inconsistent nature as a hitter as the biggest reason the Cubs should steer away from him.
"Alonso is great, but for every torrid stretch of slugging (as we saw during the Mets' postseason run), we get a prolonged cold spell. This was a deeply frustrating regular season for Alonso, who never really lived up to his All-Star bidding," wrote Kline. "He's beloved in Queens and his postseason fireworks were enough to forgive a mixed regular season. But, the long-term indicators aren't great. First basemen don't tend to age well, especially not on hefty contracts, and Alonso is coming off the worst season of his career in terms of OPS (.788). That continues a downward spiral that began in 2022."
Manaea would give the Cubs another great starter to pair with Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele. Manaea will also be a cheaper option than a player like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried.
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