The New York Mets are facing a lot of adversity in trying to re-sign Pete Alonso.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman noted on Thursday that there is "a sizable gap" between the Mets' evaluation and Alonso's evaluation. He adds the team is considering internal options.
Moving Mark Vientos over to first base is an option, but it's not the best option. The free agent market for first baseman is drying up, but there's one outlet the team hasn't explored.
Josh Bell is still readily available on the market. Despite Bell and Alonso sharing the same agent, Scott Boras, Bell's projected price tag of $5.2 million is considerably less than his first base counterpart.
Bell hit .249 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI in 2024 with the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks. His numbers picked up significantly when he went out West, but he is very familiar with playing in the National League East.
He's not known for his defense, but Bell is a strong provider of pop in the lineup. Even if the Mets are unable to reunite with Alonso, they will need to compensate for losing Alonso's production somewhere on the field.
Signing Bell would give the Mets a chance to add a solid bat while also consuming a lot less of the budget. Therefore, they could sign other big-time players -- Alex Bregman perhaps-- to help make the lineup much more well-rounded.
If they could get Bell back to his 2021 production with the Washington Nationals, Bell could turn into a steal on the first base market.
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