Despite the deep pockets of owner Steve Cohen, the New York Mets have all but accepted that longtime first baseman Pete Alonso will sign with another team this winter. The Toronto Blue Jays (stop if you’ve heard this before) are reported to <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYtv/status/1880997450732785928">be in the mix</a> after their latest miss on Roki Sasaki and the 30-year-old slugger would be an interesting fit with the current roster. This interest can be<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-blue-jays-are-interested-in-pete-alonso"> tied back</a> to late December as well. 
Considering he plays the same position as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., should the Jays be successful in landing Alonso, part of the plan could be to have Vladdy play more often across the diamond at third base. Alonso has never been known for his defensive play and would likely be frequently used as a designated hitter any time he&#8217;s not on the field. Guerrero<a href="https://x.com/ShiDavidi/status/1837651752943845719"> told Sportsnet’s Shi Dividi</a> at the tail end of the 2024 season that he &#8216;would love to&#8217; play third next season, calling it &#8216;my position&#8217;.
Fans will likely remember that Guerrero progressed through the Jays system as a third baseman and started his career on the left side of the diamond before making the switch to first base under previous manager Charlie Montoyo. 
<h2>How to use both Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays roster</h2>
There is also a scenario where the Blue Jays platoon both Guerrero and Alonso at first base and the DH spot, having both work at the position and still keep both bats in the lineup on an everyday basis. This would allow the Jays to make a potential upgrade at third base this offseason &#8211; Alex Bregman or Yoan Moncada for example &#8211; and still have the right-handed sluggers in the lineup consistently. Toronto could also move forward with the platoon on the right side of the infield and use one of their internal options at the hot corner, like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, or Orelvis Martinez as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The Blue Jays, who have been linked to Pete Alonso, are reportedly &#39;focused&#39; on trying to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. <a href="https://t.co/7W8KVUAeLK">https://t.co/7W8KVUAeLK</a> <a href="https://t.co/OnN6noVqWF">pic.twitter.com/OnN6noVqWF</a>
&mdash; SNY (@SNYtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYtv/status/1880997450732785928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Regardless of the awkward positional fit at the moment with Guerrero on the roster, Alonso instantly fills a hole that the Blue Jays have in their lineup &#8211; a lack of power.
Alonso’s imaginary place on this team isn’t as obvious of a match as some others on the open market and he has some warts to his game, but he brings a huge power pedigree, something the Jays have sorely lacked in recent years. Since his debut in 2019, Alonso has launched 226 home runs, the<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league"> second-most</a> in the majors behind Aaron Judge’s 232.  Guerrero is 14th on that list, with 160 homers, so pairing the two sluggers near the top of the lineup would give Toronto the kind of thump they haven’t had since 2021. 
With that in mind, the other player whom this move would heavily impact is Ernie Clement, who is coming off his first full season in which he earned a Gold Glove finalist nomination and a salary boost in arbitration. 
The 28-year-old amassed a .263 average with 12 homers, 21 doubles, 51 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a .692 OPS (95 OPS+) with a 3.4 bWAR in 139 games in 2024. If the Blue Jays sign Alonso, it will add some much-needed spice to a bland offseason and almost certainly spur additional moves with the logjam the team has in the infield department barring budget constraints. Clement would move to a utility role in this scenario, a move that might work for a Jays squad that can utilize his athleticism across the board and his strong contact numbers at the plate.
The addition of Alonso could also cause some of the young infielders, like Martinez, Addison Barger, Will Wagner, Leo Jimenez, or Davis Schneider to be potentially part of a trade package to improve other areas or to begin the season in the minors. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Even though the fit isn&#39;t the smoothest, I&#39;d take Pete Alonso every day for the Blue Jays over Anthony Santander if we&#39;re talking similar term deals
&mdash; Josh Goldberg (@JGoldberg12) <a href="https://twitter.com/JGoldberg12/status/1880055688866713655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays have yet to land the big-name free agent that the club has desperately been searching for this winter. Adding Alonso would be a great step forward for Atkins after missing out on Sasaki. Not only does he bring power to the roster but he&#8217;s also insurance if the club can&#8217;t find common ground with Guerrero on a contract extension. Even still, if the two sides lock in on a long-term contract, having both on the roster would make a powerful 1-2 combo in the three/four spot in the lineup and the positional fits can be addressed over the years.
This brain trust has made enough moves with run prevention in mind. It’s time for them to swing for the fences (pun intended). 
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Despite the deep pockets of owner Steve Cohen, the New York Mets have all but accepted that longtime first baseman Pete Alonso will sign with another team this winter. The Toronto Blue Jays (stop if you’ve heard this before) are reported to <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYtv/status/1880997450732785928">be in the mix</a> after their latest miss on Roki Sasaki and the 30-year-old slugger would be an interesting fit with the current roster. This interest can be<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-blue-jays-are-interested-in-pete-alonso"> tied back</a> to late December as well. 

Considering he plays the same position as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., should the Jays be successful in landing Alonso, part of the plan could be to have Vladdy play more often across the diamond at third base. Alonso has never been known for his defensive play and would likely be frequently used as a designated hitter any time he's not on the field. Guerrero<a href="https://x.com/ShiDavidi/status/1837651752943845719"> told Sportsnet’s Shi Dividi</a> at the tail end of the 2024 season that he 'would love to' play third next season, calling it 'my position'.

Fans will likely remember that Guerrero progressed through the Jays system as a third baseman and started his career on the left side of the diamond before making the switch to first base under previous manager Charlie Montoyo. 
<h2>How to use both Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays roster</h2>
There is also a scenario where the Blue Jays platoon both Guerrero and Alonso at first base and the DH spot, having both work at the position and still keep both bats in the lineup on an everyday basis. This would allow the Jays to make a potential upgrade at third base this offseason - Alex Bregman or Yoan Moncada for example - and still have the right-handed sluggers in the lineup consistently. Toronto could also move forward with the platoon on the right side of the infield and use one of their internal options at the hot corner, like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, or Orelvis Martinez as well.

https://twitter.com/SNYtv/status/1880997450732785928

Regardless of the awkward positional fit at the moment with Guerrero on the roster, Alonso instantly fills a hole that the Blue Jays have in their lineup - a lack of power.

Alonso’s imaginary place on this team isn’t as obvious of a match as some others on the open market and he has some warts to his game, but he brings a huge power pedigree, something the Jays have sorely lacked in recent years. Since his debut in 2019, Alonso has launched 226 home runs, the<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league"> second-most</a> in the majors behind Aaron Judge’s 232.  Guerrero is 14th on that list, with 160 homers, so pairing the two sluggers near the top of the lineup would give Toronto the kind of thump they haven’t had since 2021. 

With that in mind, the other player whom this move would heavily impact is Ernie Clement, who is coming off his first full season in which he earned a Gold Glove finalist nomination and a salary boost in arbitration. 

The 28-year-old amassed a .263 average with 12 homers, 21 doubles, 51 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a .692 OPS (95 OPS+) with a 3.4 bWAR in 139 games in 2024. If the Blue Jays sign Alonso, it will add some much-needed spice to a bland offseason and almost certainly spur additional moves with the logjam the team has in the infield department barring budget constraints. Clement would move to a utility role in this scenario, a move that might work for a Jays squad that can utilize his athleticism across the board and his strong contact numbers at the plate.

The addition of Alonso could also cause some of the young infielders, like Martinez, Addison Barger, Will Wagner, Leo Jimenez, or Davis Schneider to be potentially part of a trade package to improve other areas or to begin the season in the minors. 

https://twitter.com/JGoldberg12/status/1880055688866713655

Looking ahead, the Blue Jays have yet to land the big-name free agent that the club has desperately been searching for this winter. Adding Alonso would be a great step forward for Atkins after missing out on Sasaki. Not only does he bring power to the roster but he's also insurance if the club can't find common ground with Guerrero on a contract extension. Even still, if the two sides lock in on a long-term contract, having both on the roster would make a powerful 1-2 combo in the three/four spot in the lineup and the positional fits can be addressed over the years.

This brain trust has made enough moves with run prevention in mind. It’s time for them to swing for the fences (pun intended). 

<hr />

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