Boston Red Sox fans are still optimistic that their favorite team will bring in two big bats to improve the team this offseason. Many hope for Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso to really round out the infield and add a fearsome right-handed presence to the batting order.
The Red Sox are seen as a top landing spot for both infielders, despite new rumors of their self-imposed spending limits. Each player has their pros and cons, but many fans and reporters have called for the Sox to sign Alonso — he would fill a position of need at first base, he's one of the top sluggers on the market, and the Sox are desperate for home run power after the Rafael Devers trade.
MLB insider Jim Bowden named Alonso and Bregman the first and second most intriguing free agent options represented by Scott Boras this winter, respectively (subscription required). Alonso took the No. 1 spot due to his power and durability, both of which the Red Sox need.
Bowden named the Red Sox, Pirates, Reds, Angels, Rays, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Twins and, funny enough, the Rockies as teams in the market for a first baseman. He later specified that a reunion with the Mets or a contract with Boston are the most likely outcomes for Alonso's free agency.
Insider names Red Sox top fit for Pete Alonso as his market heats up at the Winter Meetings
Despite Mets owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets, this assessment is great news for the Red Sox. New York's president of baseball operations David Stearns mentioned at the beginning of the offseason that it would like to reunite with Alonso, but the slugger could decide to sign elsewhere — the Red Sox are reportedly high on his list of potential landing spots this go-round, and multiple reports mentioned that Alonso is headed to the Winter Meetings to meet with some of his suitors, with Boston among them (subscription required). Contrary to some reports, a meeting between Alonso and the Red Sox hasn't been confirmed.
Last year, the Mets assumed Alonso would sign with another team before he reunited with them on a one-year deal. After their latest disaster of a season when they imploded in the second half to miss the playoffs and rumors of drama in the clubhouse, this could really be the year Alonso leaves New York.
Alonso has been one of the most prolific home run hitters in MLB for years and he brings unrivaled durability — he's played a full 162-game season in the last two years and he's never played fewer than 152 games in a season in his seven-year career (besides in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). The Mets have dragged out negotiations with the first baseman in the past and seemingly undervalued him, possibly due to the near foregone conclusion that he'll be a full-time designated hitter someday.
Regardless of his future position, his average of over 41 homers in six full seasons of play is nothing to undervalue. Alonso may be tired of the hometown discount the Mets seemingly insist on pushing on him. The Red Sox don't have the best record when it comes to offering free agents what they feel they're worth in recent years, but they have money freed up after the Devers trade, and an even bigger need for power.
The Mets seem to be moving on from many of their longtime players, such as Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured Met, Edwin Diaz, and even Jeff McNeil's name has come up on the trade block. The Red Sox should capitalize on their uncertainty by swiping Alonso from his longtime team.