The New York Mets almost have a full coaching staff at this point, and there are some early smoke signals coming from Citi Field about the team’s position regarding the fate of first baseman Pete Alonso. We’ll know more when the GM meetings start this week, but so far it looks like the Mets will be parting ways with Alonso.

How can we tell? Well, we can’t really, but one reasonable sign is the Mets rumored interest in Japanese slugger Murataka Murakami. He played third base in Japan for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, but Murakami is considered subpar defensively, which means a shift over to first is likely part of his MLB future. 

The Mets weren’t exactly thrilled that Alonso didn’t want to spend more time as a DH, so the fit makes sense here. Alonso certainly isn’t going to improve defensively over the course of his expected five-year deal, and given the fact that he’s already considered subpar, keeping him on the field with a team that struggled with defensive consistency doesn’t make much sense. 

The old “follow the money” adage is always a significant part of stories like this, and Alonso’s next move is no exception. He’ll be looking for an average salary of $30 million or more over the course of that five year deal, while Murakami’s contract is expected to land somewhere close to eight years at $20 million per. 

The Mets have serious payroll issues, so from that perspective this isn’t a tough call. Owner Steve Cohen was more than happy to open the checkbook for outfielder Juan Soto, but it seems apparent that some bad blood might have been involved in Alonso getting that two-year bridge deal for $54 million. 

While we’re on the subject of money, let’s mention in passing that Alonso’s agent is Scott Boras, who is notorious for leaving the signing window open for potential client details for as long as possible. Given the number of moves the Mets have to make, not to mention Boras’s legendary demands for top dollar, that factors into the equation as well. 

There’s risk here, however, and that needs to be mentioned, too. Murakami has been a great power hitter in Japan and he’s only 25, but it’s always a gamble with Japanese players to see how much of their performance and skill set will translate. The corner infielder will have to make adjustments to MLB velocity, especially on inside pitches, and he missed a lot of last season due to offseason elbow surgery the year before and an oblique issue after that.