First baseman Pete Alonso is now an Oriole, as his five-year deal with Baltimore was officially announced today. He drove from his Tampa home to the Winter Meetings in Orlando to meet with clubs before locking that deal down. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, he also met with the Red Sox and Cubs. It was already known that he would be meeting with the Red Sox but the connection to the Cubs is new.
No details have emerged about the meeting but the Cubs presumably didn’t sit down with Pete just to talk about the weather, so it can be deduced that they had at least some interest in signing the Polar Bear.
The Cubs already have a first baseman in Michael Busch, who is quite good. He hit 21 homers for the Cubs last year and added 34 more in 2025. His walk rate declined a bit but he also noticeably reduced his strikeouts, from a somewhat-concerning 28.6% in 2024 to an almost-average 23.5% this year. He finished the 2025 season with a .261/.343/.523 line and 140 wRC+, with solid defense to boot.
However, he hits from the left side and is essentially a strong-side platoon guy. The Cubs only let him face a lefty 95 times this year and he produced a tepid .207/.274/.368 line and 81 wRC+ in those appearances. The Cubs signed 40-year-old Justin Turner to a one-year, $6MM deal last offseason and he started at first base against most lefties. He didn’t have a good season overall but did put up a .276/.330/.429 line against southpaws, good for a 112 wRC+.
Perhaps an Alonso signing would have been a blown-up version of the Turner deal. Alonso swings from the right side and could have played first base with a lefty on the mound. The Cubs also have a somewhat open designated hitter spot at the moment, at least on paper. Seiya Suzuki was the primary DH in 2025. With Kyle Tucker becoming a free agent, Suzuki projects as the right fielder, next to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left. They have guys like Moisés Ballesteros and Owen Caissie in the mix for DH time right now but both are still fairly unproven at the big league level.
Alonso is not a great defender at first and it was reported last month that he’s more opening to serving as a DH going forward. The Cubs could have put him into the DH spot against righties with Busch at first. Against lefties, Alonso could have put on his glove, with the DH spot open for someone else. That could be someone like Ballesteros or Caissie but they are both lefty swingers and would have to show lesser platoon concerns than Busch. Kevin Alcántara is a righty and on the roster but he has concerning strikeout numbers in the minors. James Triantos is another righty on the roster but he hasn’t made his major league debut yet.
The Cubs lost a big bat from the middle of their lineup when Tucker hit free agency. Turner is also gone, which means they are down a right-handed platoon partner for Busch. Perhaps Alonso could have replaced Tucker’s lineup presence and also served as Busch’s platoon partner. Someone else could have filled the Turner role or they could have again looked for an affordable righty bat in free agency. That could have blocked guys like Ballesteros and Caissie but they could then have been used on the trade market to go after the big rotation upgrade.
It’s now a moot point as Alonso is off the board but it could be illustrative about the Cubs’ goals. It’s well-known that they are looking for a big front-of-rotation addition but a lineup addition is also possible. They have been connected to third baseman Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez this offseason, both of whom are right-handed. Kazuma Okamoto would be a somewhat similar pursuit. Munetaka Murakami is another big corner infield bat who is available but he’s a lefty. Old friend Cody Bellinger, another lefty, remains unsigned. He can play first, doesn’t have big platoon splits and can also play the outfield.
For a signing closer in scale to the Turner deal, some righty-swinging first basemen in free agency include Turner again as well as Rhys Hoskins, Ty France, Wilmer Flores, Paul Goldschmidt, Connor Joe and Donovan Solano, as well as switch-hitters Josh Bell, Abraham Toro and Carlos Santana.
On the righty-swinging first base trade market, the Orioles getting Alonso should make Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo available. The Rays could be willing to listen on Yandy Díaz. The Rangers probably aren’t clinging to Jake Burger too tightly. The Mets could move Mark Vientos, depending on what the rest of their offseason moves are. The Astros would probably love to move Christian Walker but the Cubs surely don’t want his contract. Old friend Willson Contreras may be available but he has a hefty contract and a no-trade clause.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Well he’s an Oriole now so it doesn’t matter. Jed should focus on guys that actually fit into the defense better anyway like Bregman or Tucker
Cubs are pathetic, they cant sign anyone.. Even the Orioles made a move, and i usually bag on them for doing nothing.
Yep, offseason is almost over too.
Its December 11, the off-season is not almost over. what?
They don’t really need to sign anyone.
Not true. Most of their players have a higher chance of declining than improving. Their starting lineup is set, though. So, they still need to work in the prospects to find out who’s good for 2027 with all the contracts expiring. A utility infielder is needed.
Pitching, pitching, and more pitching would be good to sign.
I might be inclined to give Willi Castro another shot. I know he was bad after he got here( At least with the bat) but he’s been very serviceable his whole career. I’ve certainly had worse ideas I think.
As far as pitching goes they need to see what Brown, Wicks, Little, Hodge, Neely are. Palencia will get his shot. I wouldn’t mind a surer thing than him but I’m guessing we won’t get it. Maybe it’s for the best IDK. If they pass on Imai, Then they have to hope either Steele comes back in form, Wiggins steps up, or they trade for a controllable arm and they’re not cheap. The best move might be no move. Anyway can’t wait until Feb.
Nah. That would be more dumpster diving.
Vegas.. It’s not that they can’t. It’s that Ricketts won’t
I really do not understand platooning younger guys. They will never learn to hit opposite hand pitching unless they get reps. It’ll probably just keep getting worse. But I guess we headed toward an eventual expansion of the rosters where every position has a platoon because modern hitters are not good enough to do it.
I agree 100%. You have a LH hitter , gets 6 hits in three games and then they sit him against a LH pitcher. Makes no sense.
Ultimately, I think it is a very nuanced conversation. Some people learn from struggles, while they can crush the confidence of others. Depending on where a team is in its competitive window, some teams can afford to give away ABs for a player to learn, while others cannot.
Every player goes through struggles in the majors, even the elite guys. People remember Shohei’s 3 homer game during game 3 in the playoffs, but they forget how badly he struggled in the first two games. You have to let guys work through those struggles OR figured out that they are incapable of doing it. These are grown men being paid obscene amounts of money. It is time to take off the kid gloves and let them do what they have done their whole life.
I don’t really feel like using Shohei, a guy with years of professional experience behind him, and probably the most talented player ever, is the best example to compare. Plus, his early struggles were easily forgiven and forgotten because the Dodgers won; that helps a lot.
If we’re talking specific about young players, they also aren’t being paid “obscene” amounts of money. They’re making a nice salary, don’t get me wrong- but it’s the MLB minimum in most cases.
By platooning a young player, you’re giving the player, and your team, the best advantage you can to produce the optimal results. I don’t understand the argument against that, especially since most players aren’t going to play 162 games, anyway.
By that logic, should we not use match up advantages for young pitchers so they learn how to get opposite handed hitters out, too?
Are you telling me that you don’t think it obscene for a person in their early 20s, in many cases with just a high school education, to make almost a million dollars a year? The MLB minimum IS obscene money for most of us. The average American worker ($63,000 a year) would have to toil for a decade to earn the same amount as these rookies that make a “nice” salary get in one year.
But I digress.
As far as young pitchers go, they ALREADY have to learn how to opposite hitters out due to the three batter rule. But to answer your question, yes I do believe they should taught how to get opposite handed hitters out. How is that even a question? They get paid to do a job, not to do a job simply based in which box the batter is standing.
Managers are hired to win games. That doesn’t always jive with breaking in a young player.
Breaking in a young player completely will HELP you win games.
Pete could have gotten himself a shiny new no-trade clause!
I don’t understand why these people keep coming up with Bregman and Suarez to to the Cubs when Hoyer flat out came out and said he doesn’t understand why people say that when he has faith in Shaw! Some people just can’t take a hint I guess. Hoyer isn’t spending that kind of money on a hitter anyway. Pitcher? Yeah I hope so. Find something else stupid to write about.
Jed Hoyer can still prioritize pitching and add a legit bat while keeping Tom Ricketts happy and the Cubs just under the CBA threshold with a smart offseason game plan.
If Hoyer still desires an expensive starter in free agency (Tatsuya Imai?) he would need to sign a less expensive FA hitter (Kazuma Okamoto?) or trade for an affordable bat. If he chooses the trade route for a SP (MacKenzie Gore?) he could then potentially pony up for a more expensive bat like Alex Bregman or perhaps even Kyle Tucker. 🙂
No he wouldn’t. If he signed Imai he would probably move Taillion and offset the money by unloading Taillion’s 18 million. Taillion is a good pitcher but not a 1st or 2nd game playoff starter really. So that isn’t really a factor. Cubs have 3/5 of their rotation right now on expiring deals. That’s dangerous.
Tatsuya Imai would be a move in the right direction if your concern manifests itself. He’s the youngest of the premium available FA starters and would justify a longer contract. He would also give the Cubs a TOR who could miss bats along with a controllable Cade Horton. Additionally, Imai wouldn’t cost the Cubs a draft penalty with no QO attached to him like the remaining top FA starters. He’d just cost cash with his salary and posting fee.
If they sign only one guy, I’d pick Imai.
That said, I hope they fill out the bench better than they did last season. I like Hoskins, for example.
And I think folks who are saying the offense is likely to regress are probably right. Especially PCA, who I am afraid will miss needed ST reps because he is playing in that annoying distraction, the WBC.
Not exactly sure how playing in the WBC gets people less reps in ST when they start earlier and are playing games sooner and against better competition. If anything it should help. Pitchers are limited to 65 pitches so that’s a normal spring load. I don’t understand your points. Hoskins? I’d rather see what Long can do. He’s more versatile and has hit at every level and Hoskins is expensive and only plays one position and not very well. I don’t agree with any of that except Imai. He should be the focus.and trying to convince Keller his future is probably as a Closer not a starter. If the Cubs get Imai and Keller I’d even call it a wrap and Merry Christmas.
I once met with a Porsche dealer. I got the same outcome as the Cubs.
ROFL! If I use that line, are you going to charge me royalties?
Why would the Cubs meet with someone they had no intention of signing?
To understand that you would have to know who asked for the meeting. Probably Alonso to make it seem like more teams were interested.
I am sure Cubs would consider Tucker, Bregman, Alonso, Belli on 1-2 year deals. Pretty sure they will otherwise pass so no surprise Alonso went elsewhere.
MLB-well of course the Cubs would consider those guys on a one or two year deal. Who wouldn’t? They don’t want to sign any of those guys because they don’t want to spend that kind of money. That’s the truth. None of those guys would consider a deal of that length so there’s no point.
The point is you sit down with free agents and find out what they’re looking for, rather than go by what various sports blogs are saying they might go for. You also have a way, then, of trying to sell them on the idea of playing for the Cubs, living in Chicago, the advantages of being a sports star in a Chicago market.
Look, I’m not saying the Cubs don’t have a history of not stepping up to the plate and going for a big free agent signing. Their history shows an unwillingness, and it drives me batty just thinking about the missed opportunities the past few years. But if that’s ever going to change, it’s going to start with Hoyer sitting down and talking to the free agents. Criticizing him for doing that makes no sense.
Chicago-yeah all that sounds great if there was ever actually a chance they were gonna sign him and thanks for the long winded explanation that doesn’t apply here.
MLB- The Cubs know that’s a non starter so I doubt there has been more than a token phone call there. And for the record, I’m not against the Cubs re signing Happ and Suzuki either. I just hope Hoyer isn’t dumb enough to block any more prospects by giving them any more NTC’s. Say yo sign those 2 and now Conrad , Caissie and Kepley blow you away. Now what do you do? Hoyer seems to paint himself into a lot corners that aren’t necessary. The words NTC shouldn’t come up in any more conversations. If they do hang up. The cool thing about the way the Cubs set this up is when Skubal hits the market the Cubs can be players without worrying about any Tax problems.
Who really cares who met with a free agent after they signed with a team? It’s irrelevant. Any other team who met with them didn’t sign them. End of the story, move on.
What’s next, so and so was the first to report X team met with such player?
Another first baseman?
Another first baseman’s agent.
Another first baseman’s lawyer.
Another first baseman’s mother.
What makes this newsworthy?
Your attention to it.
More like your trolling
I mentioned this 2 wks ago as a possibility and a couple cubs fans on here started crying. I think it would have been a good fit
It’s just as wrong then as it is now. He wasn’t going to the Cubs and the Cubs certainly weren’t going that high in years or money. Surely not after Busch broke out. It might have been feasible when he was a FA the LAST time but not now.
Vance Lawyer’d
What did they meet for?
Just some due diligence.
A good ole fashioned tire kicking.
I just wish those 2 clowns Bregman and Suarez would sign with somebody so this nonsense will stop and we can move on.
I rather have Shaw at 3rd and let the kid play and put all that extra money into a quality pitching. Shaw isn’t a 40 hr guy but he is a good defensive player and got better as the year went on
This makes zero sense to me.
He signed with the Orioles. Who cares who he met with?
Heyman needs to screen the propaganda he gets fed from Boras.
The Cubs brass has been infatuated with Alonso for years. But I am glad that he took the O’s deal. In a couple of years from now Alonso’s contract will be albatross for the O’s. A great hitter, but I doubt it will payoff in the long run.
Imai seems like a good Marketing toy for Cubs they’d bid big on and hope the Mets are preparing for other Boras client Skubal next FA period.
And? lol he didn’t sign with them so who cares
Made you click.
Dang. Justin Turner really fell off a cliff. Haven’t heard anything about him this off-season. He basically has to wait around for the Rockies to call, before he announces his retirement.
Think the Cubs have a good shot at Polar bear. Nice move Jed!
The We Tried Tracker is heating up!
“Alonso is not a great defender at first…”
“Great defender” made me spit out my beer when I read that. ‘Good’ is the operative word I’d have used here.
Stupid and unnecessary article.
Free smells.
Ricketts looking for investment money from Alonso for another Wrigleyville project? One word Ricketts – deferral. Dodgers aren’t the only team who can project reasonable solid future revenue levels…or are they?
Another show and tell to get cubs fandom excited! When will it ever end? Remind me of the boy who cried wolf.