The Toronto Blue Jays had an incredible 2025 season culminating in a trip to the World Series for the first time in over three decades. After finishing the regular season with a 94-68 record, Toronto was boosted to the Fall Classic by a powerful lineup, headlined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Bo Bichette.
Bichette missed the ALDS and ALCS with a knee injury but made a triumphant return in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he batted .348 with a .923 OPS, one home run and six RBIs in the seven-game series.
This came after he made 139 appearances in the regular season with a .311 batting average, an .840 OPS, 18 homers and 94 RBIs.
This week, the 27-year-old declined the Blue Jays’ $22 million qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. With teams around the league reportedly having interest in the two-time All-Star, Toronto may need to find a right-handed hitting replacement elsewhere.
On Friday, ESPN reporter Jorge Castillo named Pete Alonso as a possible replacement in the Blue Jays’ lineup for the 2026 season.
“This fit isn’t clean, but the Blue Jays could lose the right-handed-hitting Bo Bichette in free agency this winter and Alonso could serve as a replacement,” Castillo said. “The Blue Jays expressed interest in Alonso last winter, but that was when Guerrero’s future was very uncertain.”
Alonso has played the first seven years of his MLB career with the New York Mets. In those seasons, he batted .253 with an .857 OPS and hit 264 home runs, a Mets’ franchise record.
He played in all 162 games for the second straight year in 2025, with 160 of them coming at first base. With his limited ability to play only first base, this could cause issues in Toronto’s lineup, should the Blue Jays pursue him, Castillo said.
“We’re not even going to bother listing first base as a possibility for Alonso in Toronto because that’s Guerrero’s job for a very long time,” he wrote. “Springer enjoyed a resurgent season primarily as Toronto’s DH, so he would have to move back to the outfield to make room for Alonso.”
Despite this seemingly unavoidable conflict, Alonso could provide the Blue Jays with the spark they need to get back to the World Series in 2026.
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