The New York Mets have been rumored to be in on just about every slugger and starter on the market, but most of this is just noise so far.
The Mets did lose an important “Plan B” option if first baseman Pete Alonso signs elsewhere, though, as first baseman Josh Naylor resigned with the Seattle Mariners in a five-year deal that represents one of the first significant signings in free agency so far.
Naylor would have been a good fit for the Mets, according to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, although Staszewski wasn’t the only writer and observer to recognize the fit here.
The Mariners acquired Naylor at the trade deadline, and he proceeded to lead them on a deep playoff run, hitting nine home runs and stealing 19 bases in 54 games while hitting .299. Naylor’s stats for the season were 20 home runs and 92 RBIs, which doesn’t match Alonso in the power department, but Seattle’s results speak for themselves.
Naylor’s playoff contributions were just as impressive. He went 10-for-24 in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, posting a slash line off .340/.392/.574 that also included three home runs and five RBIs. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up against whatever Alonso gets when he finally signs on the dotted line.
The question for the Mets here is obvious: What now? It’s easy to be “in on” all the important free agents, but that’s not the same as actually signing someone, whether it’s Alonso or his replacement. Other teams are already starting to make significant moves, and first base is one of several important holes that needs to be filled if Alonso does indeed move on.
The Mets are said to be focused on pitching and run prevention, but no one knows what that really means at this point. Does it mean a trade for Detroit stud pitcher Tarik Skubal? Trades involving some of the Mets’ disappointing veteran pitchers? A move for a mythical power-hitting outfielder who could also tighten up the defense?
It’s too early to panic here—although that is what Mets fans typically do—but it would be nice to know what the basic plan is here given the amount of business the Mets need to do. There are only so many players who can fill that Alonso slot, and as far as the fan base is concerned, the Mets are now officially on the clock.