Pete Alonso: Key Destinations in the 2026 MLB Free Agency

Pete Alonso: Where Will the “Polar Bear” Play in 2026?

A year after MLB teams didn’t offer him a long-term contract, Pete Alonso returns to the free agent market seeking a deal that will ensure stability. After a back-and-forth, Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million contract with the New York Mets in February, with an opt-out after the 2025 season. Alonso’s performance, with numbers that justified his departure, led him to announce his plan minutes after the Mets lost their last regular season game.

Alonso’s chances of finding a long-term team are greater this time for several reasons. The first is obvious: he’s coming off a significantly better season. Although in 2024 he had his worst season, with a .240/.329/.459 average and 34 home runs, in 2025 his bat resurfaced. With an adjustment to his swing, Alonso hit the ball with more force, achieving an average exit velocity of 93.5 mph, the highest of his career.

Alonso hit .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs, primarily batting behind Juan Soto. His 141 wRC+ was the second-highest of his career. In addition, he set the franchise home run record, solidifying himself as one of the most beloved Mets in recent history. Another relevant fact is that Alonso played all 162 games for the second consecutive season and has participated in 1,008 of the Mets’ 1,032 regular season games since his debut in 2019. In that period, his 264 home runs place him in third place in MLB, only behind Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber, also a free agent. Alonso is synonymous with durability and consistency. The market also plays in their favor. Alonso and Schwarber are the two main hitters available in free agency this offseason. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s decision to sign a 14-year, $500 million extension with Toronto eliminated their biggest competition at first base. Josh Naylor, although with less power but better defensively, did not pose a threat, and the retention of Seattle’s first baseman eliminates an option for other clubs. It is expected that Alonso will get a four-to-five-year contract. The question is where he will play. Here are some possible destinations for the five-time All-Star, starting with his three most aggressive suitors so far, including the only team he has known.

New York Mets

Mets’ president of baseball operations David Stearns expressed his desire to bring back Alonso and closer Edwin Díaz, another All-Star free agent. Alonso’s willingness to be a designated hitter, at least part-time, doesn’t hurt, as the Mets prioritize improving a defense that regressed in 2025.

“He’s clearly a very good offensive player,” Stearns said at the general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas. “And I think for any team, the ability to have his bat in the lineup in multiple ways is helpful. And it’s great to know that Pete is open to things like that.”

David Stearns

However, the Mets’ main priority for the offseason is pitching, both in the rotation and the bullpen, and they have internal options for first base and designated hitter in the short and long term. Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Jeff McNeil could play at first base. Juan Soto, after a poor defensive year in right field, will eventually play as designated hitter. Furthermore, Stearns’ unwillingness to give Alonso what he wanted last winter indicates that he prefers not to make that level of investment in him. The Mets haven’t had anyone other than Alonso start at first base on Opening Day since Adrián González began a 54-game cameo to conclude his career in 2018. A year later, Alonso debuted and hit 54 home runs on his way to being named National League Rookie of the Year. He became a fan favorite in Queens during his seven seasons. But he could find himself in another uniform in 2026.

Boston Red Sox

Production at first base in 2025: .244/.305/.386, 16 HR, 86 wRC+, -0.7 fWAR

• Primary first base: Abraham Toro (57 starts), Romy Gonzalez (41), Triston Casas (27), Nathaniel Lowe (26)

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .272/.361/.465, 26 HR, 125 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR

• Top Designated Hitters: Rafael Devers (73), Masataka Yoshida (44), Rob Refsnyder (18), Roman Anthony (17)

Most of Boston’s designated hitter production last season came from Devers before he was traded in June. First base was a major problem, starting with Casas’ slow start and exacerbated when he missed the season with a knee injury in early May. The logical choice to replace him, Devers, refused the assignment, leading Boston to send him to San Francisco. Toro, Gonzalez, and Lowe, who was signed in August, handled the duty for the rest of the season. Toro was designated for assignment in August. Lowe suffered the same fate on Tuesday. The Red Sox’s president of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, has made it clear: he wants to acquire a seasoned middle-order bat, preferably a right-handed one. The Devers trade, combined with Alex Bregman’s free agency, has left the Red Sox without much proven power in their lineup. A reunion with Bregman would check that box. So would the signing of Alonso, who could split time at first base and as a designated hitter with Casas if Boston were to keep him. Do the Red Sox have an appetite for both free agents? The Devers trade removed $29.1 million from the competitive balance tax payroll for each of the next eight years. The Red Sox had approximately $98 million of their relatively modest $201 million CBT payroll come off the books after the season. Their 2026 payroll is projected to include more than $50 million in increases, but Boston is a large market club with plenty of money to meet its needs.

Cincinnati Reds

Production at first base in 2025: .252/.318/.445, 29 HR, 107 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR

• Primary first base: Spencer Steer (113 starts), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (25)

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .240/.313/.407, 21 HR, 96 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR

• Top Designated Hitters: Gavin Lux (57 starts), Austin Hays (38), Miguel Andujar (20), Tyler Stephenson (17), Steer (16)

The Reds finished 14th in the majors in runs scored, but their collective wRC+ of 92, a metric that adjusts for park factors and league context, ranked 24th. The Reds know there is room for improvement playing half their games at Great American Ball Park, a hitter’s paradise, so they are looking to strengthen their offense. The first base and designated hitter are not obvious needs. Spencer Steer hit 21 home runs in 146 games. Sal Stewart, who turns 22 next month, will be a more important part of the calculation after recording a 121 OPS+ in his first 18 career games. But Alonso resides on another level. Like Schwarber, a Cincinnati area native. Now, the money part. Signing any of the hitters would require the largest free agent contract in franchise history; the current high mark is the two four-year, $64 million deals awarded to Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas in 2020. The Reds are estimated to have a $120 million CBT payroll for next season after finishing with a $143 million payroll in 2025, the highest since 2021. That projection includes expected increases. If investing in a top-tier free agent is too expensive, or if everyone simply decides to play elsewhere, the Reds could get a cheaper alternative in the trade market by negotiating with the depth of their starting rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies

Production at first base in 2025: .262/.351/.479, 32 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.9 fWAR

• Primary First Baseman: Bryce Harper (130 starts)

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .238/.362/.566, 57 HR, 152 wRC+, 5.1 fWAR

• Top Designated Hitters: Kyle Schwarber (154 starts)

With Bryce Harper at first base, Alonso would likely only make sense for the Phillies if they don’t re-sign Schwarber, the best designated hitter in the majors aside from Shohei Ohtani. But Phillies owner John Middleton isn’t afraid to spend money, and the team could make both Alonso and Schwarber work by moving Harper back to the outfield. Offensively, Alonso’s right-handed bat makes sense, as the Phillies are expected to move on from Nick Castellanos, catcher J.T. Realmuto is a free agent, and Alec Bohm is a trade candidate.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Production at first base in 2025: .246/.323/.411, 18 HR, 103 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR

• Primary first base: Spencer Horwitz (93 starts), Enmanuel Valdez (22)

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .238/.328/.390, 19 HR, 98 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR

• Primary Designated Hitters: Andrew McCutchen (120 starts), Bryan Reynolds (34)

This is a remote possibility, but the Pirates want to spend money on improving their offense to complement a strong pitching staff led by Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. Like the Athletics last winter in their quest to improve their starting rotation, that could require overpaying for an impact bat. The price of doing business.

Baltimore Orioles

Production at first base in 2025: .243/.310/.369, 14 HR, 92 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR

• Primary first base: Coby Mayo (67 starts), Ryan Mountcastle (50), Ryan O’Hearn (39)

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .221/.296/.380, 22 HR, 90 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR

• Top Designated Hitters: Mountcastle (33 starts), O’Hearn (31), Adley Rutschman (18), Jordan Westburg (16), Tyler O’Neill (13)

In general manager meetings, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said he wanted to add a power hitter, preferably an outfielder, this offseason. Acquiring Taylor Ward in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez on Tuesday fulfilled that requirement. But they could always add more power and Alonso would give them plenty.

Toronto Tiles

Production as a designated hitter in 2025: .282/.354/.484, 34 HR, 133 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR

• Top Designated Hitters: George Springer (80 starts), Anthony Santander (30), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (24)

This fit isn’t perfect, but the Blue Jays could lose Bo Bichette, right-handed hitter, in free agency this winter and Alonso could serve as a replacement. The Blue Jays expressed interest in Alonso last winter, but that was when Guerrero’s future was very uncertain. We’re not even going to bother listing first base as a possibility for Alonso in Toronto because that’s Guerrero’s job for a long time. Springer enjoyed a resurgent season primarily as Toronto’s DH, so he would have to return to the outfield to make room for Alonso.