After being trumped by the rival New York Mets in the National League Division Series last season, the Philadelphia Phillies thought they might catch a break with the expiration of long-time first baseman Pete Alonso's contract.
While the Mets and owner Steve Cohen have never been shy to spend money, the exorbitant contract handed out to Juan Soto earlier this offseason might put any other long-term commitments on the backburner for a bit. Alonso, going into his age 30 season, is a four-time All-Star being represented by Scott Boras, a notorious agent known for his unordinary and expensive deals. There has been little to no movement in the Alonso market, so rumors have begun to leak of other options for the team at first.
The Mets have reportedly "checked in" on Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with an inquiry about the availability of the expiring slugger, according to SNY's Andy Martino. Recently, Guerrero has emphasized a hard stop on the first full day of spring training as his deadline for extension talks with the Blue Jays. Much like other players, such as Aaron Nola in 2023, most athletes don't want to be distracted by money talk while they are trying to perform at the top of their game.
Phillies fans will hate that the Mets are even thinking about trading for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to replace Pete Alonso
Guerrero, 25, is going into his final year of arbitration making him a free agent after the 2025 season. With only one month to go until Guerrero's deadline, the Blue Jays will have a few choices to make. First, do they want to extend him? If not, does it make more sense to trade him now so you don't lose out on the added value? At the trade deadline? There are so many questions, but there is one thing for certain, the Phillies (and the Phantic) don't want to see the Canadian in New York.
Vlad is ready to take on Phillie Phanatic 😂
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 7, 2024
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Over 21 games against the Phillies in his career, Guerrero has hit .311 with a 1.010 OPS, his second-best mark against any team. He has cranked six homers and driven in 14 runs in just 74 at-bats. Another four-time All-Star, Guerrero had one of the best MVP runner-up seasons you could have in 2021, missing out on the hardware mostly because there was a guy named Shohei Ohtani who could pitch and hit at the highest level.
While at this point, the Guerrero to the Mets news is preliminary, it is still something that would not be good for any NL East rival, or the National League in general.
The Mets have plenty of internal options on the infield. Players like Mark Vientos, who had a incredible run in last year's postseason, will have to earn a role alongside Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Maurico returning from injury. If the Mets decide to bet on themselves instead of throwing money at Alonso or selling the farm for Guerrero, they aren't in a bad spot.
Guerrero having no team control past 2025 is the main deterrant for buying teams. If the Mets decide to go another route, they could still end up with the slugger after this season in free agency. The question will be, after the Blue Jays have missed out on all the big-name free agents over the past few years, how willing are they to move one of the premier players in the sport?