Cubs Predicted to Pursue Projected $174 Million Slugger

Getty Pete Alonso is among this winter’s top free-agent sluggers. The Chicago Cubs could be in the mix for him, but it might depend on one thing.

The Chicago Cubs missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year in 2024 thanks to an 83-79 record. How will the roster look for 2025 as they attempt to break that drought? Do their upgrade plans involve pursuing first baseman Pete Alonso on the free-agent market?

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller shared “bold” predictions for the MLB offseason. One of them is aimed at National League Central teams. He thinks at least three will set a franchise record for money spent on one free agent.

For the Cubs, Alonso might be that guy. Spotrac says his market value is six years and $174 million. Chicago’s current record for the biggest free-agent contract is Jason Heyward’s $184 million deal.

But Miller thinks the club going big for Alonso will depend on Cody Bellinger. “The Cubs probably won’t get that carried away, especially if Cody Bellinger returns on his $27.5M player option,” he said. “If he leaves, though, they’ll be very much in the mix for Pete Alonso at around $200M.”

Pete Alonso Would Be a Huge Power Upgrade for Chicago

By his standards, Alonso had a down year for the New York Mets in 2024. He posted a .788 OPS with 34 home runs and 88 RBI. Those are all single-season career-low marks for the slugger during a 162-game season. But this has continued a productive streak to begin his career.

Alonso debuted for the Mets in 2019. He’s surpassed the 30-homer plateau five times and the 100-RBI plateau another three times. His 226 homers since 2019 are the second most in baseball, behind only Aaron Judge (232).

The Cubs could use this kind of power in their lineup. They’ve had just two players hit 30-plus homers in a season since 2019: Kyle Schwarber (38 in 2019) and Kris Bryant (31 in 2019).

Can the Cubs Convince Pete Alonso to Leave the Mets?

This isn’t the first time Alonso has been linked to the Cubs in the rumor mill. Chicago tried acquiring him at the 2023 trade deadline. Cubs insider Bruce Levine also said in October 2023 that the club would “do everything they can” to pry Alonso from the Mets.

That never happened, and now Alonso gets to choose where he plays next. New York appears to be the favorite for the right-handed slugger, who has repeatedly said he enjoys being part of the organization.

“I love it here,” he said to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman on September 17. “It’s a really special place.”

Matt Musico covers Major League Baseball for Heavy.com and has been writing about baseball for the past decade. He’s the creator of MLB Daily Dingers, and his work has been featured on numberFire, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleacher Report, Elite Sports NY, and Yahoo! Sports. More about Matt Musico