The Boston Red Sox's early playoff elimination highlighted some glaring holes in their lineup, and a lack of home run power was one of them. Only one Red Sox player, Trevor Story, finished the season with 25 or more homers, and teams that are successful in October hit it out of the park at a much higher rate.
A power hitter could be on Boston's radar this offseason, which, alongside a full season of Roman Anthony, would give it a nice spark to keep up with the Yankees and Blue Jays in the American League East. Pete Alonso has been linked to the Sox a few times already in this young offseason, and fans have taken well to the idea of the first baseman coming to Boston.
The Red Sox's chances of landing him could be slim, however. There could be much competition for the slugger over the winter, possibly including the Mets, who have proven there's no price they won't pay for a free agent they want. Multiple sources have reported that Alonso seeks a deal in the seven-year range, which Boston would be hesitant to give based on its free agency pursuits in the last half-decade. Other teams could also be reluctant to give Alonso such a deal, since he's bound to become a full-time designated hitter within the next few seasons.
Reporter Tim Healey of The Boston Globe proposed a contract structure the Red Sox may be willing to meet, because they've done so before (subscription required). Healey recalled that J. D. Martinez originally sought a seven-year deal when he hit the open market before the 2018 season, and the Sox managed to sign him at five years and $110 million.
Reporter proposes J. D. Martinez-like contract structure for Red Sox and free agent Pete Alonso
The price for top tier free agents has skyrocketed since Martinez's deal with Boston, and if the Sox hope to land Alonso for less than his desired amount of time, they'll have to sacrifice more money. It could be well worth it for a team lacking in power and with a recent history of injuries at first base.
Alonso slashed .272/.347/.524 with an .871 OPS, a National League-leading 41 doubles, 28 home runs and 126 RBI over 162 games. Alonso's upcoming lucrative contract wont just pay for his slugging ability, but also his unparalleled durability — the first baseman has never played fewer than 152 games in a full season over his seven years in the league, and he's posted a full 162 games in the last two seasons. He's also a five-time All-Star and a three-time MVP vote recipient.
Alonso isn't a good defensive first baseman, with -9 outs above average and second-percentile defense in 2025. Still, he could be a better solution at the corner for the Red Sox at the corner as opposed to keeping someone inexperienced among the options in case of another injury to Triston Casas.
Alonso would be an expensive solution to Boston's 2025 power outage, but with its contending window truly open, it should be willing to try anything to get back to the World Series. A contract similar to Martinez's may be able to get the job done, but the Red Sox shouldn't bank on it.