Rumors surrounding the future of New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso are beginning to increase dramatically, as it seems that the Chicago Cubs are going to push for a trade in the offseason.

Pete Alonso. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Reports coming out of the Windy City signal that the team on the north side is looking for a power bat in the middle of their lineup and that he would be a perfect fit to fill that void. This comes just a day after Mets newly-announced president of baseball operations David Stearns said in his introductory press conference that he expects Alonso to be the team’s starting first baseman on Opening Day in March of 2024.

“The mumbling out there is the Cubs are going to do everything they can to trade for Pete Alonso from the Mets,” Cubs reporter Bruce Levine said during a radio appearance on Monday.

Now, ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers Tuesday said he heard that Alonso wants to go to Chicago and that he “has surveyed the big-market contending teams and saw that the Cubs don’t have any first basemen. They have a pretty good team and a great market, so I think he wants to come here as much as they want him.”

Alonso is entering the final year of his contract, which makes this off-season important for both sides. Stearns said, “I certainly hope that he [Alonso] is a Met for a long time.” The organization has a few important decisions to make this winter, headline by finding the right manager to lead this group. But besides that, resolving the situation surrounding Alonso has to be a priority. The Mets will look to continue discussions with his side on a potential long-term deal.

Alonso has also done nothing but state that he wants to stay with the Mets for his career.

The 28-year-old finished the 2023 season with 46 home runs, 118 runs batted in, a .217 batting average and a .821 OPS in 658 plate appearances. Alonso is now a three-time All-Star and has played at least 152 games in every season of his career, excluding the 60-game season in 2020. He’s already fourth all-time on the Mets’ home run list, and he’ll end up as the team’s most prolific power hitter if he stays with them beyond 2024.