Why an MLB insider believes Red Sox could be a ‘perfect fit’ for Pete Alonso in free agency
The Mets star won't be available until the offseason, but he could fill a few voids for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox still haven’t found a full-time first baseman following Triston Casas’s season-ending injury in early May, but their best chance at finding one might not come until after the season.
As Mets star Pete Alonso is set to hit free agency this offseason, the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman thinks that the Red Sox are a strong suitor to land the slugger this upcoming offseason.
“Even before Tristan Casas was injured, the Red Sox didn’t seem sold on Casas,” Heyman wrote in making the case for why Alonso could call Boston home in the coming months. “They will need to replace Rafael Devers’ bat (even if they re-sign Alex Bregman — no guarantee). Alonso, whose wife is from Boston, is practically a Devers duplicate offensively (.859 career OPS for Alonso to .856 for Devers) who embraces 1B.”
To Heyman’s point, signing Alonso would kill a few birds with one stone for the Red Sox. Beyond the obvious need for a first baseman, Alonso has been one of the top right-handed hitting sluggers since he entered the league in 2019, hitting at least 30 home runs in every season (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season).
Alonso’s on pace for another 30-homer season in 2025, posting 20 homers in his first 90 games. As Alonso’s on track to hit 36 homers, it’s worth mentioning that the Red Sox haven’t had a hitter record that many home runs in a season since J.D. Martinez in 2019.
While Alonso’s having another strong slugging season, he’s also in the midst of arguably his best all-around season at the plate. His .290 batting average would be a career-high, while his .929 OPS would be the second-best mark of his career. His 25 doubles lead the National League and are only six fewer than his previous career high. He also has 73 RBIs, putting him on pace for 131 RBIs, which would match a career-high.
Of course, the Red Sox could use that kind of hitter in their lineup now. But it’s highly unlikely that the Mets would want to give up Alonso, as they seek to get over the hump after losing in the NLCS last season. Entering Sunday, the Mets are just a half-game back of the Phillies for the NL East lead and are in the thick of the National League pennant race.
But Alonso could be attainable this offseason. He didn’t have too strong of a market when he was a free agent last offseason, causing him to accept a two-year, $54 million deal to re-sign with the Mets right before spring training began. With New York dishing out the largest contract in MLB history to Juan Soto last offseason, the Mets already have $228 million committed in payroll next season (excluding Alonso’s $24 million player option), per Spotrac.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, gained some payroll flexibility following the trade of Devers. They have roughly $197 million committed in payroll for the 2026 season, but that includes the options for Bregman, Trevor Story, Walker Buehler, and Lucas Giolito, per Red Sox Payroll. If all four players’ options are declined, the Red Sox would have only a little more than $100 million committed in payroll for the 2026 season, putting them well below the $244 million first luxury tax threshold.
Signing Alonso would also give the Red Sox likely longterm stability at first base. Even though Casas is only 25 and expected to return from his torn patellar tendon in 2026, he was a trade candidate this past offseason as Boston sought pitching help, which Heyman alluded to.
For now, though, the Red Sox will be stuck looking at shorter-term options to fill the void at first base as they seek to make a playoff push. Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez have been adequate replacements in the interim.
But if Boston wants to solidify first base ahead of the trade deadline, Arizona’s Josh Naylor and Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn would likely be the two best options to do that. Naylor, 28, is hitting .302 with 10 home runs and a .822 OPS in his first year with the Diamondbacks, while the 31-year-old O’Hearn is hitting .289 with 11 homers and a .841 OPS. Both players will hit free agency at the end of the season.
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