Red Sox free agency prediction could foreshadow Triston Casas trade

The New York Mets posted one of the most improbable postseason runs of the season. During it, Pete Alonso may have cemented himself as a Met for life, if he wants to be.

The 29-year-old impending free agent slashed .273/.431/.568 with four homers and 10 RBI over 13 postseason games. His ninth-inning, three-run homer kept New York alive against the Brewers as it was on the brink of elimination and was a defining moment of its postseason and his career.

Alonso has voiced his love for the Mets organization, but he'll enter free agency following his worst regular season in the big leagues. He may be on the move this winter, and the Boston Red Sox cracked Bleacher Report's top 10 potential signing locations for the first baseman, on one condition — the Sox trade Triston Casas.

With Casas on the squad, Boston doesn't have much need for Alonso. The two players are power-hitting first basemen with questionable defense, although they've both improved over their years in the league. The Sox are desperate for right-handed offensive production, and Alonso has Casas beat in that category.

Alonso slashed .240/.329/.459 with a .788 OPS over 162 regular season games for New York. He mashed 34 homers, the second-lowest metric of his six-year career, but his clutchness in the postseason cannot be denied.

Trade rumors involving Casas became popular after Ken Rosenthal's Sept. 13 piece for The Athletic that suggested the Red Sox should trade him and move Rafael Devers to first base to bring in a righty corner or middle infielder, like Alex Bregman or Willy Adames. Casas could also be part of a trade for quality starting pitching — probably the most likely way he could leave the squad this winter, as moving Devers may not be in the question.

Bleacher Report names Red Sox an unlikely contender for Pete Alonso in free agency, on the condition of a Triston Casas trade

Casas' trade value is low after he spent four months on the sidelines due to a rib cartilage injury. He batted .241/.337/.462 with a .799 OPS, eight doubles and 13 homers over just 63 games. His defense improved to negative two outs above average from 2023 when he posted -10 OAA.

Bleacher Report predicts Alonso will sign a contract with an average annual value of around $30 million, but the Red Sox haven't shown they're willing to spend that much on players. Only Devers' salary rivals Alonso's expected payday.

Alonso's price and Casas' lowered trade value make it unlikely the Sox will swap one for the other. the Red Sox are desperate for right-handed bats, though, and the front office seems to have transitioned to a "win now" mentality, different from recent offseasons. Bleacher Report's placement of the Red Sox as the seventh-likeliest team to sign Alonso seems accurate, especially with their main priority being pitching this winter.

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