If the Boston Red Sox plan to make a playoff push, a boost of power at the plate would go a long way. The Red Sox expect Triston Casas' return to action soon, but they may opt to be cautious with their young slugger due to the nature of his injury.
MLB insider Jeff Passan suggested Boston should pursue another slugging first baseman to give its offense an additional lift. He named fan-favorite New York Met Pete Alonso as a potential designated hitter upgrade for the Red Sox.
Masataka Yoshida has struggled as Boston's everyday DH. He missed a month of action due to a thumb injury and he's a well-documented slow-starter, but if the Sox have a playoff run in them, they could benefit from a bit more help at the plate.
But with four-plus years and tens of millions remaining on his contract, they may not be ready to find a substitute for Yoshida just yet. If they are, Alonso could do the job, but the Mets would also need to be willing to trade.
Jeff Passan names Mets slugger Pete Alonso as ideal trade target for Red Sox
PEEEEEETE! #LGM pic.twitter.com/RCAXVpj48K
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 20, 2024
New York took off on a hot streak around the same time as Boston, and it's far from out of the National League East race. The Mets are a game and a half out of a wild card spot as of June 26, and trading a slugger like Alonso may not be on their list of priorities as they aim for the postseason.
New York may hope to re-sign Alonso after he reaches free agency. His contract expires at the end of this season, and Alonso has expressed interest in sticking with the Mets long-term. If they don't plan to sign him, they'll likely expect quite a haul in return.
Alonso doesn't make much sense for the Red Sox lineup, especially if Yoshida is still in the mix. The trade deadline is still weeks away, and both the Sox and Mets could be in completely different places in the standings by then.
Yoshida still has time to get hot, Casas could bring Boston the power it needs, and Alonso could become key to a Mets playoff run. His bat would never hurt a lineup — especially one that plays half its games at Fenway Park — but Alonso seems like an unlikely target for the Red Sox.