Mets free agent Pete Alonso's 3 possible destinations are all in NL East, writes ESPN MLB insider

The New York Mets have to make a decision on Pete Alonso.

Their beloved first base slugger is a free agent, and it's not a given that the Mets will bring him back.

Alonso, 31, is the Mets' all-time home run leader. But as he ages and his defense declines, his value certainly isn't what it once was.

So what's going to happen?

ESPN's David Schoenfield still thinks the Mets are the best fit, if not the only one.

"Alonso was a free agent last year and there wasn't much interest, so he went back to the Mets on a deal that gave him an opt-out and he responded with a better campaign in 2025," Schoenfield writes. "Will there be more demand this offseason? Perhaps. But Alonso is a 31-year-old first baseman who is a below-average defender. He has elite power but not elite on-base percentages. That all makes him a "high risk" category, and he's not quite in the class of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman or Matt Olson, the first basemen who received big nine-figure deals since 2022. It's hard to envision Alonso leaving the Mets, but president of baseball operations David Stearns won't overpay to bring him back -- and Alonso might not be so willing to give the Mets a sweetheart of a deal this time around."

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It's the other two possible fits Schoenfield writes that are surprising: the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.

It'd be fascinating to see Alonso climb down the ladder into the depths of the NL East.

"Let's toss out the Marlins," Schoenfield wrote. "Their first basemen hit just .234 with 15 home runs. They haven't had a 2-WAR first baseman since Justin Bour in 2017 or a 3-WAR first baseman since Derrek Lee in 2002. Teams always think they can fill first base with adequate offense, but the Marlins are proof that's not always the case. Alonso is also from Florida, which might help. A more realistic long shot might be the Nationals, who need a big bopper and have plenty of room in the payroll."

The Nats have an exciting young core, while the Marlins have some intriguing pieces, too.

Alonso would seem likely to want to go to a more certain winner, but if the biggest money offers come from those teams instead, it'll be interesting to see what he prioritizes.

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