Pete Alonso (left) and Arte Moreno (right) (Imagn)

One of the more surprising free agency rumors this year has been Pete Alonso being linked to the Los Angeles Angels. Per a recent interview given by MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Arte Moreno-owned Angels reportedly discussed a deal with the New York Mets slugger, who has yet to agree to the duration of the contract.

In an episode of The Baseball Insiders podcast, MLB insider Robert Murray discussed several names that the LA Angels can still snap up on the market and his confusion about Moreno’s supposed interest in landing Pete Alonso.

“Arte Moreno is known for doing things that don’t make sense,” said Murray. (24:30 onwards)

At the time of writing, the Los Angeles Angels have been one of the busiest teams in this year’s free agency. The team has acquired the services of Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Henricks, Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Newman since the window opened.

Murray also tackled the subject of players that he deems fit for the Anaheim outfit. He bared that a few big names such as Jack Flaherty and Anthony Santander would be the ideal signings for the squad and expressed his skepticism with the front office’s interest on Pete Alonso.

“If they’re looking for a bigger name in pitching, I think Jack Flaherty makes the most sense due to the California connection. As far as the offense goes, the bats that I’m looking at for them are Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar.”

Flaherty, who is from the Los Angeles area, will certainly help with the pitching woes of the Angels even if signed on a short-term deal. On the other hand, Santander and Profar would certainly provide some depth in the outfield given that the team’s superstar Mike Trout’s health is always a concern.

Pete Alonso reportedly seeking a short-term deal

As previously reported by insider Michael Baron, Pete Alonso’s camp has offered a three-year deal with opt-outs to the New York Mets front office.

The move was done in hopes of the star slugger remaining in the Big Apple. However, it is rare for a client represented by Scott Boras to sign a short-term deal, let alone one that was reportedly under market value.

Ever since his major league debut in 2019, Alonso has hit the second-most home runs in MLB with 226, just behind Aaron Judge’s 232.