Yankees Urged to Avoid $189 Million Anthony Rizzo Replacement

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Anthony Rizzo with eyeblack on

After losing Juan Soto, the last thing the New York Yankees need to do is get desperate. While they have moves to make, and the Yankees front office seems to understand that, signing players just to do so doesn’t make sense.

There are many above-average hitters on the market, including Pete Alonso. Alonso is an interesting name, as he has massive power in his bat, but he might not be worth what contract predictions have him at.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted Alonso would sign a seven-year, $189 million deal. His prediction didn’t see Alonso sign with the Yankees, but the money is the part to consider here.

“Beyond the bat, Alonso brings a fun personality and an ability to perform in the biggest moments — something the Mariners desperately need. Last season, he hit .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs. In the two prior years combined, he had 86 home runs with 249 RBIs.

“The four-time All-Star posts every day. He will turn 30 this week. He played in all 162 games last season and he’s played in at least 150 games in every full season of his career, plus 57 in the 60-game 2020 season,” Bowden wrote on December 6.

Yankees Need to Be Cautious in Signing Alonso

If the New York Yankees were to replace Anthony Rizzo with Alonso, he’d be an obvious upgrade. However, for $189 million, that money could be spent on more than one player, making it tough to justify handing the Florida native that much money.

Despite his power numbers, hitting at least 34 home runs in every season he’s played in more than 57 games, Alonso isn’t the perfect player. It’s impressive that he’s hit at least 40 home runs in three of his five full seasons, but there’s a reason why he’s still on the market.

Rucker Haringey of FanSided urged the Yankees to “avoid” him, writing how losing Soto doesn’t mean they should sign Alonso.

“It’s easy to see why the Yankees’ brass would be tempted to respond to Soto’s departure by stealing Pete Alonso away from the Mets. He’s a very popular player who would give Aaron Boone’s lineup more pop at first base than they’ve enjoyed in years.

“The problem with that Alonso is that his performance is in obvious age-related decline. He’s still a good player, but all of his power numbers are trending in the wrong direction. That means any multi-year contract for the first baseman is likely to age poorly,” Haringey wrote on December 10.

Alonso Has Limited Market in MLB Free Agency

The New York Mets have been considered a landing spot for Alonso, as he’s spent his entire career there. If the Mets want him back, they have more than enough money to still do so. While that hasn’t been counted out, Alonso’s market isn’t where it was expected to be.

Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reported that a market for him “has not yet emerged.”

“This makes it tricky to determine what first baseman Pete Alonso is worth. According to sources, a market for the Polar Bear has not yet emerged,” Mastracco wrote on December 11.

The New York Yankees could view that as a chance to buy low, but Alonso is represented by Scott Boras, the best agent in baseball. He hardly ever takes a lower amount than he believes his client deserves.

Boras also said teams have shown interest but could be saying that to increase his client’s price.

“Pete Alonso is open to listening to a lot of teams, and has been doing so,” Boras said on December 11, according to Mastracco.