Yankees' latest Pete Alonso rumor is impossibly easy to poke holes in

The New York Yankees will have fewer opportunities to make roster-shaping "splash" signings this offseason than they did last year (shoutout to Plan B). According to one MLB insider, though, the Yankees' notoriously reticent-to-spend owner has his eyes on a big one (and a somewhat nonsensical one).

Per Jon Heyman, the Yankees - and, notably, Hal Steinbrenner - "like" Pete Alonso, who is once again headed for free agency after gutting the Mets like a fish mere seconds after the Fish knocked them out of the playoffs.

Alonso, the burly and eternal Mets first baseman, responded to a pair of "down" years (in which he still hit 46 and 34 home runs, respectively) with a 144 OPS+ while playing all 162 games for the second straight season. He'll now be re-entering free agency with momentum. If this is finally the year where the Mets lose their annual game of chicken, he'll have plenty of suitors throughout the league.

Perhaps the Yankees' interest is legitimate. Maybe the two sides will match on a $120-150 million deal that shores up the first base position and harms their semi-rival. But, if that's the case and the Yankees want to hop into the deep end of the Alonso pool ... then why didn't they do it last season, when they had a gaping hole at first base that no longer exists?

Yankees Rumors: Hal Steinbrenner likes Pete Alonso? We sure?

But does he "like like" him?

Last winter, the Yankees had no idea what the first base position would look like in the years to come. December signing Paul Goldschmidt eventually became a brilliant platoon option, but when he was imported, he was supposed to be the starter. Ben Rice was just a young thunderer with great metrics. Relying on him to be the starting first baseman? In the Yankees' spotlight? You're crazy!

But Rice, who still needs some platoon help, emerged as not just a potential force, but a Silver Slugger finalist. The Bryce Harper-Yankees rumors have already muddled the hypothetical first base depth chart enough. Alonso? That's an entirely different variety of wrench.

Typically, when the Yankees love a player, they'll figure out a way to move things around to accommodate a healthy pursuit. If they just "like" one, and there's a blockage at the big-league level? Yeah, it probably won't happen. If it was going to happen, it would've happened last year.