Do the Toronto Blue Jays need to start preparing for a post-Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reality?
Toronto is in the unenviable position of trying to work out an extension for a young superstar the season after a last-place finish. They'll have to pay a sky-high price for Guerrero, as will any team, but they'll also have to convince him they have a vision for championship contention.
How will they do that? The best bet is likely to load up the lineup as much as they can around Guerrero, giving him the protection he didn't have in 2024, when he finished sixth in Most Valuable Player voting on a 74-win team.
Could the stars align for Toronto to add another player who primarily plays Guerrero's position?
On Wednesday, ESPN's David Schoenfield projected the Blue Jays as one of the top remaining free-agent fits for New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who could complement Guerrero in 2025 while potentially filling his position if and when he leaves.
"They (the Blue Jays) need offense," Schoenfield wrote. "While it's unlikely they would trade Guerrero -- at least until the trade deadline, and only then if they're out of it -- signing Alonso as a DH could still work and provide a potential replacement for Guerrero in 2026."
Alonso, 30, trails only Aaron Judge in total home runs since he debuted in Major League Baseball at the start of the 2019 season. In addition to the 226 long balls, he's got an .854 career OPS/134 OPS+ and almost never misses a game.
Both Guerrero and Alonso are four-time All-Stars, but Guerrero is younger and has shown a higher ceiling.
If the Blue Jays are willing to use Alonso as the full-time DH, though, and potentially even give Guerrero some more time at third base, there aren't many players they could add who could impact their offense as much as the "Polar Bear" could.
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