Pete Alonso's free agency decision continues to linger. The four-time All-Star is still without a club with rumors of him being closely linked to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays while a stalemate in negotiations with his former club, the New York Mets, exists.
On "MLB Network Radio", former Mets General Manager Jim Duquette said the Mets still require Pete Alonso even though they had given up their pursuit. He feels that the infielder could be the ideal hitter behind in the lineup Juan Soto – who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract – when teams would intentionally walk the Dominican. As per him, Mark Vientos is yet to build a stature that could scare other teams choosing to walk Soto.
"They're over-evaluating Mark Vientos' ability to protect Soto. It's a whole different ball game in your second full season," Duquette said. "It's a league. It starts to catch up with you a little bit, and you're hitting right behind Juan Soto every single time, and when the game's on the line, they're likely going to pitch around Soto and go to Vientos.
"I mean, there's a mental crime that goes with that. You know that veteran players have a hard time with, never mind young players. So I think, for me, they need Alonso for that reason too. It's not just that they have a hole at first base, and the other options aren't very good. That lineup isn't that good. It's a it's better than it was last year, but it's not that good overall," he added.
Mets insider feels team can keep their patience with Pete Alonso
As per insider Andy Martino on "SNY Network", the Mets can take their time with the deadlock staying between them and Alonso and agent Scott Boras. He feels that the three-year, $70 million contract that was offered by New York will be hard to topple by the Blue Jays who have looked to be aggressive during negotiations this offseason.
"There's no reason for the Mets to rush. The final Mets offer that Alonso turned down, that's going to be tough for him to beat with the Blue Jays," Martino said.
The Mets are aware of Alonso's power-hitting prowess. Since his debut, he has hit 226 home runs which is only second to Aaron Judge. Without Alonso, the power-hitting for the lineup will fall entirely on Soto and Francisco Lindor with Mark Vientos protecting them.