The New York Mets are trying to find a solution on how to replace the kind of power Pete Alonso gave them every year without wrecking the rest of the roster.
They can talk about spreading production around, but the reality is simple. Losing a lineup anchor changes how opponents pitch you, how you build the order, and how thin the margin becomes on nights when the offense sputters.
New York has already made one move meant to absorb some of that hit. The club signed veteran infielder Jorge Polanco and plans to use him at first base and designated hitter, a way to keep his bat in the lineup while preserving flexibility. It helps.
It also does not fully answer the bigger question of who becomes the dependable threat behind Juan Soto, or at least someone pitchers have to respect from the right side.
That is why the Mets continue to circle back to St. Louis and one of the more interesting bats available in trade discussions. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday that New York has shown interest in Cardinals slugger Willson Contreras, noting the Mets recently “continued evaluating how he’d fit their team,” Goold wrote.
If that line sounds familiar, it is because this is not the first time the connection has surfaced. Earlier this month, MLB.com’s John Denton reported a similar link between the Mets and Contreras, a thread that has only grown louder since Alonso left for the Orioles in free agency.
The Mets are not chasing a carbon copy. They are looking for a stabilizer, a hitter with enough thump and on base skill to keep the lineup from becoming too easy to navigate.
Why Contreras checks boxes the Mets still have open
Any trade for Contreras would start with one obvious reality: he holds the cards. Contreras has a no trade clause, so he can block any deal he does not want.
According to Goold, the 33-year-old has told the Cardinals that he would “prefer to remain with them but would consider a move to a team or city that is agreeable to his family.” That is not a green light, but it is not a hard no either.
From the Mets‘ perspective, the baseball case is straightforward. Contreras is not Alonso in terms of raw home run volume, but he brings real power when he is on the field.
He is also the type of hitter who can change the feel of an inning, especially if Soto is hitting in front of him. A credible right-handed presence matters in the middle of the order, particularly for a team that does not want Soto pitched around in big spots.
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