The Mets made headlines this offseason with their decision to let Pete Alonso walk and bring in Jorge Polanco - and let’s just say, eyebrows are being raised across the league. Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden didn’t hold back when weighing in on the move, especially the way the Mets framed it: that Polanco could help fill their needs at first base and designated hitter.
To Bowden, that logic just doesn’t add up.
“You don’t like Alonso defensively at first base? Wait, what?”
Bowden said during an appearance on Foul Territory. “But you like Polanco at first base - a guy who’s played one inning there in his entire career?”
That’s the crux of the confusion. Alonso, for all the critiques about his range, has long been one of the better pickers at first.
He led all first basemen last season with 29 scoops - a stat that doesn’t always get the spotlight but plays a huge role in saving infield errors. That’s five more than Freddie Freeman, who finished second with 24, per FanGraphs.
Sure, Alonso made 10 errors - most among first basemen - but he also bailed out his infielders countless times. That kind of value doesn’t always show up in a box score.
“He’s elite at scooping and picks,” Bowden emphasized. “How many errors has he saved the third baseman, shortstop, and second baseman over the years in New York?”
And then there’s the bat. Alonso’s offensive production has been a cornerstone of the Mets’ lineup.
He’s a perennial 40-homer, 120-RBI threat - the kind of power bat you build around. Polanco, to his credit, had a strong season with Seattle in 2025, posting a .265 average, .862 OPS, and 26 home runs.
His 132 wRC+ was a career-best, and he was especially dangerous from the right side against left-handed pitching - a key factor as the Mets look to protect Juan Soto in the lineup.
But the drop-off in raw production is hard to ignore.
“You got rid of a 40 home run bat for a 20 home run bat,” Bowden said. “You got rid of 120 RBIs for 70 RBIs.
That’s what you did. Your offense just downgraded.”
Then there’s the positional question. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns suggested Polanco could “easily” slide over to first base.
But as Bowden pointed out, that’s a lot easier said than done. First base might not demand the range of shortstop or the arm of third, but it’s a position with its own set of challenges - footwork, timing, stretch mechanics, and instincts that are often developed over years.
“Have you asked that to Bryce Harper or Willson Contreras or anybody else?” Bowden asked, referencing other players who’ve made the switch and found out the hard way that first base isn’t just a place to hide a bat.
To be clear, Bowden isn’t knocking Polanco as a player. He called him “a good player” and acknowledged that his knees are healthy and he’s coming off a strong campaign.
But the concern isn’t about Polanco in a vacuum - it’s about the context. It’s about moving on from a franchise cornerstone, a fan favorite, and a middle-of-the-order force, and replacing him with someone who brings solid value, but not the same impact.
At the end of the day, the Mets didn’t just swap players. They reshaped the heart of their offense.
Whether that gamble pays off will depend on how Polanco adjusts - potentially to a new position - and whether the rest of the lineup can pick up the slack left by Alonso’s departure. Right now, though, there are more questions than answers.