The Mariners lit up T-Mobile Park with a bright ‘J.N.’ for Josh Naylor. Naylor had agreed to stay in Seattle on a five-year, $92.5 million deal. But it may have changed the first-base market. With Pete Alonso’s future in Queens still up in the air, the Mets just watched a potential Plan B in Josh Naylor disappear.

Joe DeMayo, co-host of The Mets Pod, says Josh Naylor’s five-year, $92.5 million deal with the Mariners might set a market baseline, but it doesn’t really change the path of Pete Alonso’s free agency.

However, Andy Martino of SNY has a different take on this. “Pete was already the best first baseman available. Now he’s like the only star first baseman available.”

Further, Martino added, “I texted and talked to as many people in the industry as I could and got kind of like a lukewarm response from a lot of people saying, like, ‘I don’t think it means much.’ Because yes, there are two first basemen. And yes, Naylor is the second-best first baseman available on the free agent market, but other than that, they’re so dissimilar in that Alonso, by every offensive metric, both surface metrics and like under-the-hood stuff, is just a better offensive player. Naylor is a better defender.”

All these mixed reactions from insiders are surfacing just as the buzz grows around Pete Alonso’s potential move to Boston.

Apparently, Boston freed up a huge chunk of payroll with last season’s Rafael Devers trade.

And with Alex Bregman back on the free-agent market, the Red Sox have room for another star, maybe even two.

If Bregman returns, it might lower their chances of chasing Pete Alonso, but the Red Sox would still need more power in the lineup, especially at first base. And Alonso is now one of the biggest power bats out there.

Alonso has crushed 195 homers for the Mets in the last five years. And his willingness to take DH at-bats makes him an even better fit for Boston, giving Alex Cora more options with his lineup. But the buzz around the Red Sox’s interest has been all over the place.

There were even hints that Alonso might stay in Queens when David Stearns spoke enthusiastically about using him as a DH, a role that would let the Mets capitalize on his biggest strength. His bat. If that doesn’t happen, the Mets even have an internal option.

If Pete Alonso leaves, the Mets won’t have to look far; they’ve got a replacement candidate

MLB writer Mark Feinsand pointed to Mark Vientos as a potential first-base replacement if the Polar Bear heads elsewhere.

The Mets have already had preliminary talks with Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras. David Stearns will weigh whether a deal fits the team’s long-term plan. While no one can truly replace Pete Alonso’s production, Vientos at least gives the Mets a cost-effective internal option with some upside.

Vientos started as a third baseman, a spot that never quite fit him defensively. But his bat has always intrigued the Mets.

His breakout 2024 season made it feel like they had a real talent on their hands. He recorded 27 homers, a 132 wRC+, and stretches where he looked like one of the most dangerous young hitters in the National League.

Then 2025 hit.

Injuries, inconsistent timing, and ongoing defensive questions brought his wRC+ to 97. His 17 homers didn’t tell the full story, and they didn’t quiet the skeptics either. Still, the second half of the season offered some hope.

In that span, Vientos posted an 81 wRC+ before the All-Star break, then rebounded to a much stronger 116 afterward. So, at the end, he makes a relatively strong case as Alonso’s alternative.