Pete Alonso has all the makings to have been a top target for the Boston Red Sox this offseason. The veteran plays a position they need filled at first base, he hits 30-40 home runs per season, he's right-handed and he's experienced.
But Boston clearly didn't take the pursuit seriously. The Baltimore Orioles signed Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal on December 10, which the Red Sox very easily could've beaten, or at least matched. Instead, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, their offer to Alonso was for "fewer years and significantly less money" (subscription required). The amount of money and time they offered was not reported.
Alonso was the best chance for the Red Sox to add the home run power they desperately need after the Rafael Devers trade. Kyle Schwarber also could've been an option, but he didn't fit Boston's lineup as well, and it didn't even make him an offer.
Now, the Red Sox will have to settle for lesser options to build up their lineup, and fans aren't happy that they passed on the top end of the free agent market yet again. As hard as it tries, the front office will never be able to pass up its uncompetitive, unrealistic contract offers for "competing" in top markets.
Red Sox must acquire two bats to make up for pathetic Pete Alonso contract offer
With the two top sluggers off the market, Boston will really have to add two bats to improve upon last year's team. One should be Alex Bregman, and the second should be Ketel Marte or Kazuma Okamoto, depending on the Diamondbacks' asking price for the former.
The Red Sox need to bring Bregman back as the adult in the room on a younger and relatively inexperienced team. Bregman is also right-handed and the Sox are desperate for righty bats, and he's still an elite defender at the hot corner — one of the main reasons for moving on from Devers was to improve the infield defense, and settling for anything less than Bregman will be unacceptable.
Marte could be a great fit at second base for the right price. He's an above average defender, which is already better than any of the Sox's internal options for second base, he's a switch-hitter and reliable one (he's slashed .281/.351/.472 with an .823 OPS over his 11-year career and he hit 28 doubles and 28 homers last season). He provides some of the power the Red Sox need, but Alonso's 30-40 home runs would've been preferable.
The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are not close to a deal, but some of the names that have reportedly been thrown around in trade rumors include Marcelo Mayer and a young pitcher like Payton Tolle or Connelly Early. Boston has more than enough prospect depth to trade from, but its pool isn't infinite. Marte is less durable than Alonso, and he's only played more than 150 games in a season once since 2019. His attitude in the clubhouse has also reportedly been problematic at times, exactly the issue the Red Sox traded Devers for.
Unlike the Sox's prospect pool, John Henry and Fenway Sports Group's wallet is full of near infinite resources. It's foolish of them to expect people to believe that spending over the second luxury tax threshold will upend their profits.
The Red Sox have more than enough money to pay Bregman and Okamoto. The NPB veteran would fill a similar role to Alonso — he's a right handed corner infielder who has played a great first base in Japan and he has 20-30 homers in his bat per season. There's always risk taking on a player from NPB, as the caliber of play isn't the same as in MLB, but the Red Sox can — and will — always make his contract money back.
Boston lost out on arguably its best free agent fit by doing what it always does in recent seasons — offering a pittance and calling it "competing." The only way to fix this and measure up with the rapidly improving teams around the American League East is for the Red Sox to add two bats: Bregman and either Marte or Okamoto.