"I don't expect Pete Alonso to end up in San Diego Padres" - MLB insider predicts NL East for 4x All-Star, wants AL West involvement

Free agent first baseman Pete Alonso's future destination has many buzzing. While his former team, the New York Mets, remains the top contender to re-sign him, other teams have also expressed interest in acquiring the slugger.

During Thursday's episode of "The Baseball Insiders" podcast, a fan asked the hosts whether rumors of Alonso joining the San Diego Padres were true.

While Adam Weinrib dismissed having seen any reports linking Alonso to the NL West team, MLB insider Robert Murray provided details on Alonso’s free agency.

"I would be really stunned if Alonso and the Padres ended up coming together for an agreement," Murray said (7:05 onwards). "As I've consistently said ... they're operating with some real financial restrictions here. It hasn't allowed them to be active in free agency or the trade market."

"I don't expect Alonso to end up in San Diego. I believe Alonso ultimately goes back to the Mets. There is a gap in negotiations, mostly stemming from the years. Maybe you end up seeing a solution like a short-term contract with a high AAV. We'll see what happens there, but that's my guess."

While Murray leaned toward a Mets reunion, he mentioned other potential fits, including the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.

“The Giants make sense because they need a first baseman," Murray added. "As for the Mariners, I don’t expect Alonso to go there, but they should be involved. Their offense was dreadful last year, and adding a player like Alonso could address that issue.”

MLB insider shares possinble reason Pete Alonso remains unsigned

Typically, top players at their position get signed first, followed by others. However, in the case of Pete Alonso, other seemingly less-coveted free agents like Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt and Josh Naylor have already found new teams, while Alonso still awaits a contract.

MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal shared a potential reason for Alonso’s delayed signing: his age.

“The issue seems to be with the Mets, and perhaps other teams as well, is that Alonso is entering his 30s,” Rosenthal said, via Foul Territory.

Although Alonso’s free agency decision remains unresolved, the prevailing sentiment is that he will ultimately return to the Mets.