In his end-of-season press conference, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow diagnosed many issues with the Sox's roster that led to their early postseason elimination.
Some of them were out of Boston's control, like injuries contributing to a lack of pitching depth. But Breslow also pointed to a lack of home run power as a key area of improvement — with Rafael Devers traded to the Giants, and Roman Anthony and Triston Casas on the injured list, the Red Sox could definitely use a slugger to even the playing field in the near future.
The Sox expect Casas to be back and ready to play early next season, but Breslow wouldn't commit to a long-term role for him, which makes sense, given his history of long-term injuries. If they don't feel comfortable using him as the everyday first baseman, Red Sox insider Rob Bradford tabbed free agent Pete Alonso as a potential starting option.
"Alonso is a player you don't have to worry about. He has played in the second-most games of anybody in MLB over the past four seasons, hitting the fourth-most homers of any player," Bradford wrote in a piece published on October 7. "Yes, the 'models' might not suggest it's worth allocating such a big chunk of change to a corner infielder, but some of those same narratives were also in play when it came to Bregman a year ago. Sometimes, it's just about being the right guy at the right time for the right team."
Alonso announced after the Mets' second-half implosion and playoff miss that he would opt out of his contract with the team. The first baseman has played his entire career in Queens and enters something of a Bregman contract situation — he'll opt out, but could easily return to the Mets to finish out his contract, or maybe even on a long-term deal.
Red Sox insider says Boston should pursue slugger Pete Alonso in free agency
Alonso, who will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, is well suited to Boston for numerous reasons. His durability is one of them, as he's never posted fewer than 152 games in a season (besides in 2020) and he's played in all 162 games in both 2024-25. Conversely, Casas has never posted more than 132 games in a season (although his career is three-plus years shorter).
Alonso is right handed and could add some diversity to the Sox's batting order. Alex Bregman, Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder were Boston's best righty hitters all season, and while they played well, Bregman went through a severe slump at the end of the regular season and he may not re-sign with Boston after his near-certain upcoming stint in free agency. Alonso slashed .272/.347/.524 with an .871 OPS, a National League-leading 41 doubles, a triple and 38 homers over 162 games in 2025. He can hit to all fields, but the Green Monster could be his best friend if he were to sign with Boston.
The veteran hit free agency for the first time last season, but inked a short-term deal with the Mets, who were hesitant to meet his asking price. If Alonso's contract price is too much for even Steve Cohen, it's hard to believe John Henry would sign such a star, especially if Bregman and Trevor Story both opt in to their contracts.
Still, Alonso's bat, years of first base experience and durability would bring stability to a position on Boston's roster which has experienced much turnover in recent years. Alonso and a full season of Anthony would help the Red Sox get their slugging percentage up to match their competition, and hopefully crush some of their RISP issues.