The New York Mets and Pete Alonso have their backs against the wall to get a deal done before the start of spring training.
Steve Cohen and David Stearns have almost put themselves in a situation of Alonso-or-bust when it comes to first base. However, it doesn't have to be that way.
There are plenty of elite bats the Mets could trade for, even if they aren't necessarily natural first baseman. The Mets need offense and should cough up whatever it takes to acquire Brent Rooker from the Athletics.
Rooker has never played first base in the big leagues, but we see players change positions all the time. Bryce Harper shifted from outfield to first base, and Cody Bellinger went the opposite way. Rooker's defense has been questionable at best in the outfield, so there's a chance first base could be a position where he finds himself at home.
Here is what a potential trade could look like:
- New York Mets acquire: OF/DH Brent Rooker
- Athletics acquire: OF Drew Gilbert (Mets No. 3 prospect), INF/OF Ronnie Mauricio (Mets No. 6 prospect), RHP Jonah Tong (Mets No. 10 prospect) and RHP Dom Hamel (Mets No. 15 prospect)
With Rooker just signing a five-year, $60 million deal, the Mets would have to send a haul back to the Athletics. However, Mauricio spent all of 2024 in the big leagues. Gilbert and Hamel were at Triple-A Syracuse for most of the season, and Tong could start 2025 at Triple-A. All four players are young and controllable for several years to help the A's build a well-rounded team.
As for the Mets, Rooker would give them offensive numbers comparable to Alonso at a fraction of the price. He is coming off of back-to-back seasons with at least 30 home runs, and he posted 112 RBI in 2024. The bat is certainly there for Rooker, and even if the Mets get league average defense from him at first base, the offense pays for itself.
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