MLB insider identifies obstacle keeping Seattle Mariners away from Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso has hit 226 home runs since his debut in the MLB in 2019. During that time, only Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has hit more home runs. Thus, there should have been plenty of teams wanting to signing four-time All-Star but for one major reason.

On the Talkin' Jake podcast, host Jake Storiale brought up Pete Alonso's contract negotiations and linked the Seattle Mariners with him. As per Storiale, the Seattle offense could do well with a prolific home run hitter like Alonso.

ESPN analyst and MLB insider Jeff Passan responded that the Mariners, in need of a powerful at-bat like Alonso, are interested in Alonso but cannot offer him the type of contract he's looking for. He implied that the M's case, like other teams when compared with the Dodgers, is a prime example of how the offseason has gone.

"You bring up Seattle, of course the Mariners want him, they just they don't have money and it's like to me this is the story that we're going to take away Jake from the offseason, it's not just what the Dodgers are doing, it's what other teams aren't," Passan said. [14:10]

Pete Alonso has been linked with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels, all big-market clubs. He was offered a three-year $70 million contract by his former club, the Mets, which he has stalled, making it tough for clubs with smaller payroll to pursue him.

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MLB writer highlights difficulty of hitting in Seattle

During the discussion with Passan, Storiale took note of an article by Mike Petriello on the MLB website that mentioned various facts and figures proving that Seattle Mariners' T-Mobile Park is the worst ballpark to hit home runs.

Petriello concluded that T-Mobile's Park pitching friendly nature has stunted the offensive production of the M's.

"Either way, this isn’t a new issue. It’s not one the team has ignored, or not tried to fix. It’s incredibly difficult to hit at T-Mobile. It always has been. It's a bigger factor than most people consider – and it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re worried about whether or not Mariners hitters are successful," Petriello wrote.

It could be one of the major factors why top free agents like Pete Alonso would not have any interest in joining Seattle. Having to play 81 games at home, it can seriously hamper their overall season numbers.