Three Reasons a Former First Baseman of the New York Mets May Join the A’s
As the winter goes on, even his old team, the New York Mets, may not be the best match for free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, whose market is getting smaller. Mark Vientos could simply be moved from third base to first base for New York, which would also save money and improve at-bat performance.
Vientos mostly occupied the hot corner in 2024, recording a 2.9 fWAR and 133 wRC+ (the league average is 100). Although his defense didn’t grade out as highly, first base is renowned for using the glove to mask certain inadequacies.
The Mets aren’t afraid to spend money, but not giving up the duckets for Alonso may result in an improvement at third base through free agency. Vientos won’t even be eligible for arbitration until after the 2026 season. The greatest choice available would be Alex Bregman. Alonso hit 34 home runs and recorded a 2.1 fWAR and 122 wRC+.
It could be difficult to locate a landing site for Alonso if this turns out to be the case, and a surprise team might arise. These three factors suggest that team may be the A’s.
According to the CBA’s rules, which require a revenue-sharing team to spend a specific amount above its revenue-sharing check in order to remain in compliance, the A’s must raise their payroll to about $105 million this offseason in order to prevent the MLBPA from filing a grievance against them. It is estimated that the A’s benchmark for an approximately $70 million infusion from the rev sharing program is $105 million.
The A’s luxury tax payroll projection is $89.945 million per roster resource, even with the signing of Gio Urshela (1 year, $2.15 million), Luis Severino (3 years, $67 million), and Jeffrey Springs (2 years, $21 million plus a $15 million team option for 2027). In order to get to where they need to be, they will still need to spend around $15 million on wages in 2025.
Before the summer started, MLB Trade Rumors predicted Alonso’s contract to be five years and $125 million. While front offices may find it difficult to accept a five-year contract for a player with Alonso’s skill set, a three-year contract at the similar AAV may be feasible. Given that so many other clubs are already filling first base openings this winter, that is where the A’s may step in.
The team has been operating at the bare minimum for all these years under John Fisher’s ownership, even though they just need to invest $15 million to escape any consequences. They may spend a little money and obtain a big bat to make them go from an intriguing club with promise to a possible danger if they want to make a statement and indicate that things are really different as they get ready for a possible future in Las Vegas.
Adding a Signature
The Need for A to Continue Spending
Severino and Springs are two huge guns that the A’s have acquired to their starting rotation, but those names won’t be well-known outside of baseball sickos. The A’s would benefit greatly from adding a player with Alonso’s level of name recognition if they want to attract some favorable attention.
The fact that he would be in the lineup most of the time is also a good argument to get a club ticket. Since the A’s will be playing at a stadium with a capacity of 14,000 in West Sacramento for at least the next three seasons, ticket sales shouldn’t be a problem. However, the A’s should aim to make tickets more difficult to get and appealing for reasons other than being the newest thing in town. It wouldn’t be good for their Vegas dreams if they can’t sell out a park with 14,000 seats for a few years.
Adding pitching is a terrific way to construct a winning team, but it doesn’t draw as much attention unless you’re adding one of the game’s finest pitchers. When paired with Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler, a position player who smashes home runs like Alonso would be a terrific addition.
Consider Tyler Soderstrom.
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