Should the Toronto Blue Jays trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for Mets slugger Pete Alonso?

With a new president of baseball operations in David Stearns set to take over the Mets at the end of the season, it’s clear there will be major changes in New York. Could one of those changes be trading Pete Alonso to the Toronto Blue Jays for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Below, you can hear if Blue Jays fans would rather have Guerrero or Alonso:

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero was one of the most hyped prospects the Toronto Blue Jays ever developed. The son of a Hall of Famer, Guerrero looked every bit as good as he was projected to be in his first few seasons in the majors.

Guerrero’s best season came in 2021 when his 48 bombs tied him with Salvador Perez for the major league home run crown and he led the majors in runs scored (123) and total bases (323). He won the American League Hank Aaron Award and Tip O’Neil Award in 2021 while finishing second in MVP voting behind two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Unfortunately, it’s been a steady decline for Guerrero over the last two seasons. Guerrero played one less game in 2022 than in 2021, but still finished last year with 33 fewer runs, 16 fewer home runs and 14 fewer RBIs.

The numbers haven’t improved in 2023. Through 141 games, Guerrero has a .263 batting average with 84 RBIs and 21 home runs. That puts him 63rd in home runs just two seasons after leading the majors.

Pete Alonso

Alonso’s contract expires after the 2024 season, so a major priority for the Mets in the upcoming off-season will be deciding whether he has a long-term future in New York, or if it’s time to cash in on him in a blockbuster trade.

Alonso is a three-time All Star and he was the National League RBI leader (131) last season. In 136 games this season, Alonso is hitting .224 with 62 extra-base hits. He is also second in the majors in both home runs (44) and RBI (105). The home runs are already more than the 40 he hit last season despite having the lowest batting average of his career.

So, should we read more into Alonso’s home run and RBI total or his batting average? Well, scoring runs is obviously the goal when a batter steps up to the plate and the stats say Alonso is the second-best offensive player in baseball this year. When you look at it that way, what more could you ask for from Alonso?

Verdict

Don’t give up on Vladdy. At just 24-years-old, Guerrero still has time to develop into the superstar form that we saw in 2021. Alonso is already a superstar, but he’s reached his peak at 28-years-old. There’s a chance the ceiling is higher for Guerrero, it’s too early to give up on him.