Could the Cubs and Mets explore a Pete Alonso trade this offseason?

As we watched the high-dollar Mets dismantle a roster that held World Series aspirations back in the spring, everyone wondered just how far the teardown would go. In the end, it was a dramatic overhaul of the roster, headlined by the trades of both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, along with guys like Mark Canha and, a few weeks earlier, Eduardo Escobar.

But one guy who stayed put is Mets slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, who will reach free agency following the 2024 season. While there was never anything concrete connecting the Cubs to the three-time All-Star and former NL Rookie of the Year, the fit was obvious. Now, courtesy of the New York Post, we know New York at least floated Alonso's name in the days leading up to the trade deadline - which will only fuel speculation about a potential move come the offseason.

"Alonso, who can become a free agent after next season, was among the players the Mets dangled at the trade deadline, but their asking price was very high and they never came close to dealing him, according to a source. It’s unclear how serious the Mets were about trying to trade the first baseman. "

Prior to the Cubs acquiring Jeimer Candelario from Washington, the team was in dire need of both more offense and a corner infield bat. Candelario can obviously play both third and first, while Alonso is strictly a first baseman, but there's no doubting what adding his bat to the lineup could mean to a team like the Cubs.

Cubs will face steep competition for free agent bats, which could force them to explore the trade market

The team's two hottest hitters since the deadline, Candelario and Cody Bellinger, are both free agents at season's end. Replacing them won't be easy (assuming they don't re-sign one or both of them this winter) given the relative weakness of the free agent position player group this offseason. A trade might make the most sense - but, as the Post notes, it's no guarantee the Mets trade Alonso, who will likely eclipse 40 homers for the second straight season in 2023.

One year after leading the league with 131 RBI, Alonso will break the century mark easily in the coming weeks. It's worth pointing out the Cubs haven't had a guy drive in 100 runs since 2018 when both Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez accomplished the feat.

The cost would be significant and, if I were to wager a guess, Jed Hoyer would be cautious against offloading his top-shelf prospects for a rental, even one as impactful as Alonso. Plus, with Mets fans livid over how the 2023 campaign played out, dumping the face of the franchise would be a brutal PR move for Steve Cohen and his Scrooge McDuck money.

The takeaway here is that Cubs fans need to understand the prospects the team has been accumulating in recent years may wind up helping the front office shore up needs as trade chips rather than contributors on the 26-man roster. Alonso is a wish list, big ticket target, to be sure. But whether it's to land someone like this or bolster depth elsewhere, we could see Chicago active on the trade scene this winter.