MLB insider reveals Blue Jays pushing hard for Pete Alonso as Mets fumble free agency

Take a deep breath, Blue Jays fans, but it seems the MLB offseason could finally be tipping in Toronto's direction. According to The Athletic (subscription required), the Toronto Blue Jays have shifted their attention to free agent slugger Pete Alonso, as of Thursday morning.

This would be a massive addition on the part of the Jays who've been essentially stuck in neutral throughout the entire MLB offseason. Toronto seems to be throwing money all over the place, but no one has been willing to take it. Hopefully this latest push on the part of Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays' front office will yield positive results.

MLB insider reveals Blue Jays pushing hard for Pete Alonso as Mets fumble free agency

Alonso has been languishing on the open market far longer than many casual observers thought he would. The longtime New York Mets slugger is one of the best pure power hitters in the game, and has mashed 34 or more home runs in each of the past four seasons. Alonso led the league in homers during his rookie season in 2019 and was the NL RBI leader in 2022. The 30-year-old has a career 134 OPS+ with 226 round-trippers through his first six big league seasons.

The pursuit of Alonso, however, does raise questions about the long-term future of perennial Blue Jays' All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Both he and Alonso primarily play first base, and having both players on the same team could clutter the roster somewhat. According to The Athletic, the thought heading into the upcoming season would be to rotate the duo between first base and DH, with Guerrero reportedly playing some third as well.

Vlad Jr. has been the subject of enormous trade speculation lately. Heading into his final guaranteed season with the Jays, Guerrero has given Toronto a drop-dead date of the team's first spring practice in Dunedin next month in order to work out a long-term deal.

A 1-2 punch of Alonso and Guerrero in 2025 would certainly be an imposing theat to opposing pitchers. Adding Alonso would also give Toronto some added insurance in the event that Vladdy leaves the Blue Jays organization next offseason.

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