The Chicago Cubs enter the 2023-24 offseason with a few key needs to address and obtaining another power-hitting threat to the middle of their lineup is definitely near the top of the list. The Cubs absolutely need another star player. Well, it may only be the first week of October, but the hot stove is already burning on the north side of Chicago because reports are picking up steam that the Cubs are going to do everything they can to trade for New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
First, Bruce Levine was on 670 The Score Monday afternoon and he dropped this piece of info about some of the rumblings he’s been hearing about the Cubs’ offseason plans.
The people I talk to, and I talk to a lot of scouts, as you know … and the situation is, the mumbling out there is that the Cubs are going to do everything they can for Pete Alonso from the Mets. Alonso is in the last year of a contract, obviously 46 home runs, 100 RBI, you know, a guy that pounds the ball. Sure he strikes out, but who doesn’t these days. And he’s one year away from being a free agent, much like Bellinger was. And the only difference, Matt, is that you’re going to have to trade something really good for him, even though there’s only one year left.
As you might recall, the Cubs approached the Mets back in the summer, leading up to the trade deadline in hopes of pulling off a deal to acquire Alonso. It turned out that the Mets weren’t actually being realistic about Alonso being on the trade block, as their trade demands were deemed obscene at the time.
Anyway, the Cubs need a legit power threat and they need someone to play first base. Cody Bellinger and Jeimer Candelario are pending free agents while rookie Matt Mervis didn’t come close to winning the job in 2023 and is in no way guaranteed to have playing time at first for the Cubs in 2024. So yeah, you would absolutely love for the Cubs to trade for Alonso, the premiere power hitter in baseball.
Now, before you start to freak out about the possibility of the Cubs completely moving on from Bellinger this offseason if they plan to make a serious push for Alonso, Levine also added the following during his appearance with Matt Spiegel.
“Alonso is that middle of the order type hitter to go along with Bellinger. We’re stretching it in this conversation on October 2, thinking that they’re going to get both of them, but that would be their plan going into the offseason, a slugger like Alonso a great piece like Bellinger. I don’t think their plan is to go backwards.”
Here’s the clip of Levine talking about the Cubs and Alonso.
As a quick reminder, Alonso will be 29-years-old when the 2024 season begins. That is also the final year before he can test free agency. The first baseman will make about $20 million in his last arbitration-eligible season and there are rumors out of New York that Alonso has been seeking a 10-year contract extension. It seems as though the Mets and Alonso aren’t all that close when it comes to negotiations.
So yeah, you want Alonso on the Cubs, but it’s going to take a big piece to land him. Everyone will immediately think of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago’s top prospect, but I don’t think the Cubs will have to include him to get a deal done. But if you’re concerned that the Cubs will end up balking at the trade table because the price might get steep, how about this other nugget from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers from Tuesday.
Via Bleacher Nation.
Today on Kap & J. Hood, @JesseRogersESPN said he believes the Cubs will be looking at big trades this offseason, and yes, Pete Alonso “is on the radar.” Importantly, according to Rogers, Alonso WANTS to come to the Cubs – which could mean an extension is more plausible.
If you’re the Cubs and you already know that Alonso is very much on board with joining your team, then you’d think they wouldn’t be scared away by the asking price because they have confidence in signing him to a long-term extension after acquiring Alonso. Again, at face value, a team is only guaranteed to have Alonso for 2024, but if there’s already an understanding from him that he wants to stay, then it probably gets easier to trade away that other young player you really like for Alonso, knowing you have your star first baseman in place for several years.
Oh and by the way, Nico Hoerner and Pete Alonso are represented by the same agency.
