The Boston Red Sox still have one glaring need despite being active early this offseason.
The Red Sox addressed their starting rotation needs by trading for three-time All-Star Sonny Gray to pair with ace Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation. Now Boston has to turn its attention toward the starting lineup. The Red Sox’s offense lacked power following the Rafael Devers trade, but with multiple sluggers available in free agency, the team has the opportunity to fill that need.
MLB.com’s Ian Browne highlighted how signing New York Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso in free agency would fill the Red Sox’s greatest need of a big right-handed bat.
“The Red Sox need a slugger who can sit in the third or fourth spot in the lineup and stay there all season,” Browne wrote Saturday. “The Red Sox had that guy for years, and his name was Rafael Devers. The star left-handed hitter was dealt to the Giants for a multitude of reasons back on June 15, and Boston knows it is vital to replace his production to go deep into October.
“Keep an eye on Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, the two biggest bats on the free-agent market. Only Aaron Judge has hit more homers than those two sluggers over the last seven seasons. In a perfect world, Alonso would be the best fit because of his right-handed bat in a lineup that needs more balance. But nobody in Boston would complain about winding up with Schwarber.”
Alonso is a five-time All-Star and one of the top sluggers in baseball. The 31-year-old has mashed 34 or more home runs in six of his seven seasons in the league, only missing that tally during the shortened 2020 season. The Red Sox could use a first baseman with Triston Casas’ injury history and regression last season, and Alonso would be a perfect fit who could add some right-handed power to the lineup.
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