WFAN legend fuels Pete Alonso-Yankees rumors ahead of tumultuous Mets offseason

If Pete Alonso had an impossible time landing anything approaching what he wanted from the New York Mets last offseason, think about how much harder it'll be this year. Alonso's a homegrown franchise legend. He's the all-time home run leader (somehow). He's the kind of player Steve Cohen can afford to splurge on, then bury if the contract goes sour. Steve Cohen has "bury the contract" money.

But David Stearns, the man he hired to oversee operations, doesn't play in that pool. Instead of signing Blake Snell or sacrificing the farm for Garrett Crochet, he made too-high payments to a number of wild cards (Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas) after striking gold on his reclamations last offseason.

While skimping out post-Soto, Stearns dragged his feet so hard on Alonso that he accidentally helped dig up the casino construction site next door to Citi Field. He rewarded the team's "faith" with 37 home runs and a 145 OPS+ in his age-30 season, and yet he'll almost certainly be elsewhere next season and beyond. It's hard to envision a man who didn't want to guarantee more than one year to a 30-year-old Alonso biting on the long-term pact during a second go-'round.

And that's why iconic WFAN host Joe Benigno thinks the Yankees could be lurking. A Mets-to-Yankees defection makes all the sense in the world when the team in Flushing has offended you so greatly that you'd like to find the meatiest part of the back to stab.

"The Yankees need a first baseman," Benigno notes (ACCURACY CHECK: Kinda), "and if you tell me they won't go after Pete, you're out of your mind."

New York Yankees could pursue Mets slugger Pete Alonso? WFAN icon Joe Benigno fears it.

The only problem with this theory is that it's a better Met fan fear than a Yankees reality. New York will probably be searching for a right-handed complement to Ben Rice at first base for next season, but that's a one- or two-year pursuit (and that's a silly use of Alonso's immense talents). The Yankees have also been averse to the same type of spending that Stearns shied away from last offseason.

Still, Alonso as the long-term DH heir to Giancarlo Stanton's throne is pretty damned appealing. Until the dust settles and he's playing elsewhere in 2026, it's fun to keep pretending that the Yankees will do what's right and keep Alonso where he clearly belongs: in New York City, playing for a franchise that appreciates him.