With the Blue Jays recently inking outfielder Anthony Santander to a 5-year deal, where should they allocate the remaining cash? The hottest options are utilityman Jurickson Profar and first-baseman/designated hitter Pete Alonso. More fans seem to be leaning towards the slugging Pete Alonso, and with a rumoured contract being offered to the ex-Met, it would seem the front office feels the same way. Looking at last season alone, Alonso and Profar are both bats that would improve the Blue Jays starting nine. Alonso’s career-low in HRs came last year at a whopping 34 (omitting shortened 2020 season), which would have ranked 1st on Toronto last season. This compounded with the .240 average, which improved from the season prior at .217, makes Alonso an intriguing free agent.
Similarly, Profar had a stand-out year last season, reaching career-highs all over the board. In 2024, he hit 24 home runs while batting .280, but unlike Alonso, these numbers seem like an outlier compared to his other seasons throughout his career. He’s only had 2 other seasons where he’s hit 20 homers and his second-closest full-season batting average came in 2018 where he batted .254, so with Profar continuing to age at 31-years-old, it seems like a risk to offer a long-term deal.
Rise or Decline?
The question is whether Profar can sustain his numbers from last season over the potential length of his potential contract with the Blue Jays. Another crucial question regarding Pete Alonso is whether the slugger is on a decline and if he is able to keep up his 30+ HR seasons. Are power bats a necessity after the Anthony Santander signing? I think it couldn’t hurt the team to get another power bat like Alonso, considering how feeble Toronto was on the HR front last season. If both Alonso and Profar could keep up the numbers from last year, they would both be great signings for the Blue Jays. I would, however, give the slight edge to Alonso, as he is the safer option and provides better numbers to a seemingly stagnant lineup. Although the price tag would be slightly higher, it would prove better worth in the long run, as the run producing ability is too valuable to pass up on. Both players would be a good fit for this Toronto squad, but the Blue Jays front office should target Alonso and have Profar as a backup option.