"If they signed Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman, I'll put them top 5" - MLB analyst on NL West team's potential in league with an All-Star acquisition

The MLB seems to be hung over Arizona Diamondbacks' surprise signing of Corbin Burnes. As per insiders, it makes their already impressive roster even stronger. But the team could become a serious title contender if they can land one more big name free agent.

On Baseball Today, co-hosts Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe discussed Burnes' role in making the Dbacks better. They also discussed the possibility of Arizona shelling out some more cash and injecting a sense of experience to the lineup. Plouffe said that acquiring either Alonso or Bregman would make them a serious challenger in the National League.

"There's still guys out there in the free agent market that aren't going to break the bank, a veteran hitter could certainly come in there. Like, it depends how hard they want to swing. Do you go after a Pete Alonso and move some things around, put Naylor at DH? Like, how many suitors does he have left? I think the price tag is down.

"If they put him in that lineup and add Corbin Burnes, I think we’d say, my goodness, this is one of the better teams in the NL. I'd put the Diamondbacks, if they signed someone like Pete Alonso or someone like Alex Bregman, like another big bat, I would put them— I got to think about it—close to the top five in the NL," Plouffe said. [6:07]

The National League is already competitive with teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets stacked with loaded rosters. The Dbacks have seem to have almost similar talent on paper. Alonso or Bregman's addition to the lineup would boost their chances of winning.

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Arizona Diamondbacks have a reliable batting lineup in MLB

Arizona's regulars like Ketel Marte, Loudes Guerrel Jr., Eugenio Suarez and Corbin Caroll are crucial to the team winning 89 games last season.

The Diamnondbacks batters topped the charts in batting average, being tied for top spot with a cumulative .263 batting average in 2024 alongside the San Diego Padres. They were first in RBIs as well, while coming in fifth for home runs hit.

In both the Alonso and Bregman sweepstakes, the D'backs have to battle only a few MLB teams, as the market has died down. They could target Alonso has a power hitter who would complement the high base reaching abilities of the others. Alonso's biggest suitors remain the New York Mets, the MLB team where he played since 2019.