Can Pete Alonso (aged 30, New York Mets) be an alternative to Juan Soto (aged 26, New York Yankees).
The New York Post said on the 31st (Korea time), “If the Yankees fail to re-sign Superstar Free Agent (FA) Soto, whose top priority is the Yankees, pitching stars such as Mets slugger Alonso and former Cy Young Award winner Coburn Burns (Baltimore Orioles) and Blake Snell (San Francisco Giants) could be one of the pillars of the backup plan.” The media predicted that the Yankees would recruit three to four star players if they failed to re-sign Soto, and mentioned switch hitters Anthony Santander (Baltimore), Alex Bregman (Houston Astros), Max Fried (Atlanta Braves) and Jack Flaherty (LA Dodgers) as candidates.
The Yankees’ biggest homework this year in the offseason is to “remain in Soto.” Soto, which is scheduled to be released as a free agent, is currently a huge hit, with over 500 million dollars (691.7 billion won) worth of big contracts expected. Since he is not sure whether he will stay or not, he needs “Flin B,” but Alonso has been mentioned as an alternative to fill his long balls. Alonso, who debuted in 2019, hit 226 home runs (annual average 38) over six years. His agent Scott Boras said, “Alonso is definitely the core of the franchise (Mets).” The New York Post added, “It is not perfect as a substitute for Soto,” citing that Alonso is from the local rival Mets.
The batting style cannot be ignored. The Yankees already have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the big right-handed hitters. If another right-handed batter, Alonso, is recruited, the center-handed hitting line could be biased. The New York Post said that an attack centered on three right-handed hitters is not optimal. “Soto is the perfect left-handed batter to keep pace with Judge and Stanton,” adding that Santander, a switch hitter, might be more reasonable for maintaining left-handed balance. It is a well-known fact that Soto is more suitable for the team. The key is the terms and conditions of the contract. As Soto was mentioned for a long-term contract of 13 to 14 years, his price also jumped astronomically. 스포츠토토
Soto is one of MLB’s leading superstars. He has a batting average of 0.288 (166 hits in 576 times at bat) with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in 157 games this season. In August, Yahoo Sports of the U.S. decided on 25 FA rankings by checking the trends in the FA market this winter, and Soto was ranked first. Yahoo Sports said, “Soto’s FA contract starts with 5. Remember, he rejected a 15-year, $440 million (W608.7 billion) contract from the Washington Nationals in 2022,” predicting a large contract worth more than $500 million.
