The New York Mets made this winter's biggest splash by signing outfielder Juan Soto to a historic $765 million contract. Will president of baseball operations David Stearns' next move include pursuing first baseman Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians to replace Pete Alonso?
Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen have publicly stated they'd like to have Alonso return to Queens on a multi-year deal. But now that Soto is no longer a free agent, the 30-year-old's market will start to take shape. With teams like the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners all in need of a new first baseman, there's no guarantee Alonso will re-sign with the Mets.
Could Naylor be the perfect replacement? He was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 and slashed .243/.320/.456 with 31 home runs, 27 doubles, 108 RBI and 84 runs scored in 633 plate appearances. FanSided's Noah Wright named the 27-year-old as an "emergency trade target" for the Mets if Alonso signs elsewhere.
"Naylor might even have more in the tank. In 2023, he had a .842 OPS, .354 wOBA, and 127 wRC+," Wright wrote. "His .246 batting average on balls in play was significantly lower than his career average of .282. Naylor did not have a huge change in barrel rate (8.4%) or exit velocity (89.9 MPH) compared to 2023 either (8.2% barrel rate, 89.1 MPH exit velo) when he had a .326 BABIP."
Acquiring Naylor would potentially be a one-year solution for first base in Queens. Spotrac is estimating he'll earn $14.2 million via arbitration in 2025, which is his last year before reaching free agency.
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