Just one day after Kyle Schwarber reunited with the Philadelphia Phillies during the Winter Meetings to set the market for the rest of the offseason's available sluggers, Pete Alonso has also come off the board, but not in the way many Boston Red Sox fans hoped.
Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract, first reported by MLB insider Jeff Passan. The Orioles were one of the teams most "in" on Schwarber, and they even matched Philly's offer for the designated hitter (subscription required). They've found their dose of power elsewhere.
The Red Sox had been linked to Alonso seemingly since the offseason began. He plays a position they need filled at first base, given Triston Casas' inconsistency to this point. He also routinely hits 30-40 home runs a season, and after the Rafael Devers trade, Boston experienced a severe power outage, which contributed to its early postseason elimination.
Alonso batted .272/.347/.524 with an .871 OPS, 41 doubles, a triple, 38 homers and 126 RBI over 162 games in 2025. His home run-hitting prowess is unmatched by anyone remaining on the market besides Eugenio Suárez, and Alonso's durability will be well worth the $155 million that the Red Sox have more than enough money to have matched.
Orioles sign Pete Alonso to contract Red Sox could've easily beaten
Instead of watching Alonso slug homers and pepper the Green Monster in a Red Sox uniform, they'll have to see him do it as a visitor.
The Red Sox still remain "in" on many infield targets around the league, including Alex Bregman and Ketel Marte. Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami are both intriguing international free agent options (Okamoto being better suited to Boston's needs as a veteran and rock-solid defender), but now that Alonso has left the Mets, they could spoil the market for other sluggers with owner Steve Cohen's historically deep pockets.
Teams in the American League East have been among the biggest movers and shakers so far in this young offseason. The Blue Jays brought in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, the Orioles added Alonso and Ryan Helsley from the free agent market and Taylor Ward via trade, and the Rays brought in Cedric Mullins and former Red Sox reliever Steven Matz. If Boston hopes to match up, it will have to have one hell of a backup plan to add power to its lineup.
The AL East has already gotten much scarier, and the Red Sox don't even have Bregman back yet. There's still weeks of the offseason remaining to make the moves necessary to field a better team than last year (which will require re-signing Bregman and at least one other bat), but the best fits are flying off the market faster than they can act, and they're running out of excuses for their misses.