It's just really hard to imagine Pete Alonso on the Phillies

Back in March of 2017, I penned an article for Sports Talk Philly entitled "Stop saying you won't root for Bryce Harper if he ends up on the Phillies." 

The TLDR of the story was pushing back against the sentiment from some fans at the time who insisted that if the Phillies signed Harper — then 24 years old and playing for the division-rival Washington Nationals — they would stop rooting for the team. As hard as it is to imagine now, that was a fairly common sentiment on social media at the time. And it was ridiculous. 

With that said, here we are eight-plus years later, and I find myself with the following thought — can you actually imagine Pete Alonso putting on the red pinstripes and playing for the Phillies?

That's not to say that the idea of Alonso — a free agent for the second offseason in a row — being a fit for the Phillies should be scoffed at. The Phillies need a cleanup hitter, and are too left-handed. By all accounts, they don't intend to move Bryce Harper back to the outfield, so Alonso would have to be comfortable playing most or all the time at DH. 

The Phillies' Plan A this offseason is to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, and if they are successful in that, Alonso won't be a fit. But if Schwarber goes elsewhere, it's more than fair to think about him as a target. 

It's just hard to imagine Alonso — the New York Mets' all-time leading home run hitter — suiting up for the Phillies. Granted, it was once that way with Harper, but he always felt like someone who was going to sign elsewhere when he became a free agent after the 2018 season. Alonso seems like someone who is meant to spend his entire career with the Mets. 

Then again, it felt last offseason like Alonso — a Scott Boras client — was more interested in the Mets than they were in him. He returned to New York on a two-year/$54 million deal that included an opt-out clause he exercised after hitting 38 home runs in 2025. Alonso might not be as inclined to wait around for the Mets this offseason. Here's a few reasons why: 

• A year ago, Alonso was closing in on Darryl Strawberry's franchise home runs record, a mark that he now has at 264. 
• Last offseason, the Mets were coming off of a magical run to the NLCS, and Alonso likely didn't want to depart feeling like the team had unfinished business. This year, the vibes aren't anywhere near the same, as the Mets went 83-79 in 2025, missing the playoffs altogether. 
• Even though he still was one of the best run producers in baseball, Alonso had a relative down year in 2024, posting a .788 OPS. He rebounded in 2025, with an .871 OPS. 
• Alonso was also saddled with a qualifying offer last year in free agency, meaning any team other than the Mets who signed him would have had to surrender draft-pick compensation. Players can't receive the QO twice in their careers, so all it would take to sign Alonso this offseason would be dollars. 

Perhaps all this is just making the case for the Phillies being in on Alonso — should they lose Schwarber — even more. After all, if the Phillies lose Schwarber's power production and none of Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh or Shohei Ohtani suddenly become available, who would be better to replace Schwarber's offensive presence with? 

But there would be more than Phillies fans who would have to get used to the idea of Alonso in red pinstripes. 

The five-time All-Star — who has spent seven years playing for arguably the top rival of the Phillies — would have to be comfortable with switching sides of the rivalry. If Alonso leaves in free agency to sign with the Boston Red Sox, he'll likely get a hero's welcome when he returns to Citi Field in the future. If he were to sign with the Phillies, even if the Mets chose not to bring him back, it would mean he would get deafening boos at Citi Field for the foreseeable future. Does he have the stomach for that? 

In the end, Boras clients typically go to the top bidder. If the offseason unfolds where Schwarber signs elsewhere and the Phillies pivot to Alonso, he may decide his best path forward is signing in Philadelphia. Right now, though, it's just really difficult to envision him playing for the Phillies, even if it's entirely possible he's played his last game for the Mets. 

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