Why Red Sox Desperately Need To Prioritize Signing NL East Power Bat

For the Boston Red Sox, free agency this winter is both an opportunity and a crucial checkpoint.

There's no doubt that the Red Sox made progress this season. Three straight years without playoff baseball was unacceptable, and Boston not only corrected that issue, but demonstrated that the future is exceptionally bright, given the amount of young talent that arrived on the big-league roster.

However, there was one very obvious void on this team, and after making a move that further exacerbated the problem midseason, the Red Sox cannot afford to let it go unchecked.

Red Sox need power bat, urgently

Sep 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) prepares to bat during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Above all else, Boston needs a middle-of-the-order power bat. Someone for whom hitting 30 home runs in a season is an afterthought rather than a real challenge. After trading away Rafael Devers, who finished the season with 35 long balls, the Red Sox were led by resurgent shortstop Trevor Story with 25.

There was a report from MLB.com's Mark Feinsand centering around Alex Bregman's free agency on Friday evening, which included the following nugget about the Red Sox's possible pursuit of two National League East sluggers.

"The consensus around the league is that a Bregman-Boston reunion remains the most likely scenario, though should the two part ways, that could open up the possibility of the Sox making a push for a free-agent power bat such as Pete Alonso or Kyle Schwarber," Feinsand wrote.

This should be taken as somewhat discouraging news, if the implication is that the Red Sox have to choose between Bregman and an Alonso/Schwarber type. Yes, Bregman played a valuable role in the clubhouse and losing him would be dastardly after trading Devers, but his return does not grant Boston the type of power bat it needs.

It's admittedly hard to see Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski letting Schwarber walk, as much as Red Sox fans would love to see a reunion. So Alonso, who hit 38 bombs this season and is already the Mets' all-time franchise leader with 264 in his career, may have to become the primary target.

It doesn't matter that his defense at first base doesn't pass the advanced metrics test, or that Triston Casas is still around. Boston needs a guaranteed 30-homer season and a shot at 40. Because do you know when the last time a Red Sox hitter blasted 40 homers was?

That would be 2018, when J.D. Martinez hit 43 on the way to Boston's most recent World Series title. And every Boston team that's won a World Series this century has had a hitter pop at least 30.

More MLB: Red Sox Get Glass-Half-Full Alex Bregman Update From MLB Insider