"A fit between the two makes sense. The Yankees could use a secondary big bat behind Aaron Judge in the lineup, and an upgrade at first base would not be the worst thing in the world, either. The Paul Goldschmidt experiment failed, though Ben Rice emerged as a potential fixture of the future despite also getting some time behind the plate as a catcher."
"But the organization apparently still believes in Austin Wells, and Rice is slated to be the team's everyday first baseman in 2026. That makes Alonso, coming off a 38-home-run season in which he set the Mets' all-time round-tripper record, not a top option for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. A serious run at Pete Alonso seems unlikely with Ben Rice seemingly in line to take over as the full-time first baseman, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wrote."
"Alonso, 30, is reportedly looking for a seven-year deal in free agency, much like what he was looking for last season with his agent, Scott Boras. But the market for slugging, defensively below-average first basemen has shrunk with the introduction of the universal designated hitter. Alonso wants to stay at first base, and a seven-year, $200 million-plus contract (regardless of how attainable that actually is) is a significant figure to pay a DH, which is what he projects to be in just a few years."
Ben Rice is slated to be the Yankees' everyday first baseman in 2026 after emerging as a potential fixture despite time spent catching. The Yankees still believe in Austin Wells and view a Pete Alonso pursuit as unlikely. Alonso hit 38 home runs and set the Mets' single-season home run record, but he is 30 and reportedly seeking a seven-year, $200 million-plus contract with agent Scott Boras. The universal designated hitter has shrunk the market for defensively below-average first basemen, and Alonso prefers to stay at first even though he projects to become a DH. The Yankees are also connected to Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto.
Read at www.amny.com
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