Red Sox Next Steps After Losing Pete Alonso Sweepstakes

Despite an overwhelming amount of rumors and reports, the Boston Red Sox will not be bringing Pete Alonso into the organization this offseason.

On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Baltimore Orioles reportedly are in agreement with Alonso on a massive five-year, $155 million pact, ending the dream for Boston fans.

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The Red Sox aren't getting Pete Alonso

"Breaking: First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Alonso leaves the Mets to make a loaded AL East even better," Passan wrote on X.

What a turn of events.

Boston has been linked to three sluggers primarily throughout the offseason: Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, and Alex Bregman. Schwarber and Alonso are now off the board. Bregman still remains. When rumors surfaced earlier in the week that Alonso was coming to the winter meetings to meet with teams, the two that were brought up were the Red Sox and Orioles, by Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Unfortunately, Boston wasn't the American League East team to win the sweepstakes.

So, what's next? Let's examine.

Remaining free agent

The top and most obvious option for Boston is Bregman. The third baseman has consistently been reported as Boston's "priority." The Chicago Cubs are another team that has been tied to Bregman. With Schwarber and Alonso gone, there aren't as many fallback options anymore. Also, things are clearly heating up across the league, so Boston should be looking to act quickly before someone else can nab Bregman. Landing Bregman along with either Schwarber or Alonso would've been phenomenal. Now, it's shifted to Bregman or bust.

Beyond Bregman, other free agents available are Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, Eugenio Suárez, Munetaka Murakami, and Kazuma Okamoto. There are still talented players out there, but this isn't the update Boston fans were looking for, especially after all of the rumors of the week.

Trade targets

On Tuesday night, Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported that Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers, Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros, and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals are guys the team has shown interest in.

Marte is the guy who has gotten the most buzz.

What should Boston do?

The market is moving. Boston doesn't have the luxury of time. First and foremost, Boston should sign Bregman. This is the most obvious option. Afterward, a deal with the Diamondbacks for Marte or a slugger like Murakami should be considered.

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