The Boston Red Sox have already been linked to free agent first baseman Pete Alonso by multiple sources this young offseason. Alonso is one of the top sluggers available and he checks off multiple of Boston's biggest needs, but the competition for his services could be fierce.
Alonso's longtime team, the New York Mets, could be among the most daunting competition. The Mets have the highest payroll in baseball, they extended Juan Soto his record-breaking $765 million contract and team owner Steve Cohen seems willing to pay anything to make the playoffs (which didn't go according to plan in 2025).
Fortunately, recent speculation from New York Post insider Joel Sherman suggests the Mets could be willing to let Alonso walk (subscription required).
"The term 'Chekhov’s gun' refers to the idea that if you show a rifle mounted on the wall in the first act of a show, that gun better be fired by the final act," Sherman wrote.
"Is 'run prevention' [David] Stearns’ Chekhov gun, since he so publicly offered it within 24 hours of the regular season ending? In other words, did Stearns tell us that Pete Alonso is not coming back without ever saying those words? Because we are no longer in the first act, with free agency having begun and Alonso available to all."
Mets could move on from Pete Alonso in favor of improving defense, opening door for Red Sox's pursuit of the free agent
Despite the Mets' insanely high payroll, they missed the postseason due to a horrific second-half collapse. New York's president of baseball operations Stearns noted that it will shore up its defense this offseason to avoid another implosion, and Alonso could be part of the roster changes. Another MLB insider, Bob Nightengale of USA Today, also reports that the Mets hope to move on from the first baseman.
"Alonso had a monster year but they still missed the playoffs, making it easier to walk away now. They are preaching defense or in the words of Stearns, “run prevention," and are expected to let him depart unless he signs a deal they can’t turn down," Nightengale wrote. He also stated that GMs around MLB have tabbed the Red Sox as an ideal landing spot for him.
Alonso isn't a good defender, and he posted -9 outs above average, 10 errors and -1.8 dWAR in 2025, the worst metric on New York's roster. Despite his struggles, he could still be a good fit for the Red Sox because his offense outweighs some of his defensive struggles and he has more experience at the corner than Triston Casas or anybody else Boston has played at first base in his absence due to long-term injuries.
Alonso is exceedingly durable, an attribute the Red Sox desperately need on their roster given their frequent injury bad luck. The veteran has never played fewer than 152 games in a single season (besides the pandemic-shortened 2020 slate) and he's posted a full 162 games in the last two years.
If the Mets are truly out on their longtime first baseman, there will be fewer teams in the mix to drive his price up. He also doesn't have the qualifying offer attached to him this year, and there is no risk of interested teams forfeiting a draft pick to bring him in.
The door is open for the Red Sox to pursue Alonso without the Mets' massive payroll or other external factors getting in the way. He's a regular All-Star and a 30-plus home run hitter year in and year out, and Boston could use that offense with so many young players still finding their way in its lineup.