Red Sox Predicted To Nab $110 Million Free-Agent Slugger From Mets

Will this star sign a new deal this week?

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A view of the big apple in center field before game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Will the Boston Red Sox's grand offseason plan become clear this week?

The Red Sox have already made a pair of significant trades to help the starting rotation, but the biggest unanswered question by far is which big bat will join the middle of the lineup (assuming they get one). Re-signing Alex Bregman is an option, but perhaps the Sox are thinking they need more of a pure home run threat.

In that vein, the main options on the market this winter are New York Mets five-time All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso and Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who played in Boston for the last two months of the 2021 season.

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Pete Alonso predicted to join Red Sox

On Monday, ESPN's Jorge Castillo predicted that the Red Sox would eschew anything familiar and make a commitment to Alonso, whose pure right-handed pop projects to be exactly what Boston's current lineup is missing.

"Craig Breslow, Boston's chief baseball officer, has been clear about his desire to acquire a right-handed slugger for the middle of the order," wrote Castillo. "Not many players are better qualified for that role than the right-handed-hitting Alonso, whose 264 home runs since his debut in 2019 are the third most in baseball behind Aaron Judge and Schwarber.

"Alonso is coming off a rebound All-Star season in which he clubbed 38 home runs with 126 RBIs, an NL-leading 41 doubles and an .871 OPS for the Mets. Defensively, Alonso is below average, but he could split time with Triston Casas at first base and designated hitter."

There's something particularly appealing about an Alonso-Casas timeshare in hopes of keeping both players healthy. Alonso has proven himself to be as durable as they come in his career and Casas has played just 92 games in the past two seasons, so Boston could keep the former fresh and hopefully boost the odds of keeping the latter upright.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel also projected Alonso for a four-year, $110 million contract earlier this offseason, and the question would be whether an offer like that would prompt Alonso to take his deal in the near future, or whether Boston would have to increase the years to keep him from dragging things out again.

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