Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs According to recent reports, free agent first baseman Pete Alonso may have little alternative remaining as he looks for a new baseball home other than to return to his old one. He has been reported to have turned down an offer from the team for which he has played his whole career, the New York Mets, and no other appealing offers from other teams have been forthcoming.The problem is, according to a report by the New York Post on Friday, the Mets may believe they already have found a replacement for Alonso — and that player is one Alonso’s Mets teammates.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 09: Pete Alonso #20 and Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets celebrate after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game Four of the Division Series at Citi…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 09: Pete Alonso #20 and Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets celebrate after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game Four of the Division Series at Citi Field on October 09, 2024 in New York City.
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“Mark Vientos hasn’t dazzled in his limited exposure to first base, but there is a measure of confidence within the organization he can handle the position if needed,” the Post reported. “The Mets’ decision in recent days to move away from a reunion with Pete Alonso, after the slugging first baseman rejected the team’s last offer… has left Vientos as a prime candidate for a move across the infield this season.”Can Vientos do it? The statistical sample size just isn’t there to give a good answer one way or the other. In his three-year career, the Mets’ 2017 second-round draft pick (59th overall) has played all of 89 innings over 14 games at first base.The 25-year-old Vientos was drafted out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., where he was teammates and close friends with Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas.More MLB: Pete Alonso Mets Reunion May Be Back in Play After Big Toronto Free Agent MoveVientos, however, has been underwhelming at his natural position, the hot corner, which has frequently proven too hot for him.According to Fangraphs advanced statistics, Vientos registered an unimpressive minus-6 in the important Outs Above Average category in 2024, indicating he has been a serious defensive liability at third base.But the Mets have been willing to tolerate his inadequacies in the field as they watched his emergence as a force at the plate. Vientos belted 27 home runs and assembled a solid .837 OPS in 2024, his first season playing more than 100 games (111).Alonso, it should be noted, has been even worse defensively, according to Fangraphs. His OAA number at first base last season was a disastrous minus-8.More MLB: Former Dodgers All-Star, Fan Favorite Open to Return to LA in Potential Blockbuster Signing
