The Chicago Cubs are about to be in the thick of what will be a critical offseason for the team.
With four straight seasons without a playoff appearance as well as zero playoff wins since 2017, the fans in Wrigleyville deserve better than the product the Cubs have put on the field. It doesn't look great either that one year after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in the history of baseball, Chicago doesn't even have a single extra win to show for it, finishing 83-79 for the second consecutive season.
While ownership as well as president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer have been somewhat hesitant to hand out big money long-term contracts outside of a select few over the years, the team has been heavily linked to New York Mets power-hitting first baseman and impending free agent Pete Alonso. Hoyer's comments since the season ended about trying to get more production from what's already there when asked about a 'star' player being acquired did not exactly inspire confidence either, but a report from Bob Nightengale several weeks ago indicated that if Alonso were to leave Queens, both the Cubs and Mariners would be heavily linked.
All that being said, it feels like it's at the point where there may be a pretty good shot that Alonso never hits the open market and opts to stay with the Mets. Alonso has been with New York since 2019, and the playoff run the team is currently on is just their second playoff appearance and first tine they have been in the NLDS since then. He has always been open about the fact that he loves being a Met, and now he is seeing proof of concept that he can win in New York.
This is all on top of the reality that the Mets may be more willing to pony up the cash to retain Alonso after he has had a phenomenal postseason thus far, highlighted by the clutch 9th inning three-run home run in game three of the Wild Card round while down 2-0 to win the game and send the Mets into the divisional round. Alonso would hardly be the first player to cash in the following offseason off a strong postseason, and whether that is staying with his current team or going elsewhere, that will likely be the case.
The longer the Mets run goes on and Alonso keeps up strong play, the higher the price goes for Chicago, the more willing the Mets will be to pay him, and potentially even the more Alonso's desire to stay with the team increases. For Cubs fans hoping to see Alonso belting homers over the Ivy Wall in 2025, rooting interest probably lies in a swift Mets exit from the postseason.
