By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberNow that the Boston Red Sox have acquired a No. 2 pitcher to pair with Garrett Crochet, the next thing the team needs is a big right-handed bat.
The Red Sox have been busy in the early offseason, making a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to bring in three-time All-Star pitcher Sonny Gray, but don't expect the team to remain quiet in free agency. Boston should face stiff competition to retain 31-year-old third baseman Alex Bregman, but it has been linked to some of the top available free agents.
Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer listed the Red Sox as the top suitors to land New York Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso.
"With their trade for Sonny Gray having fortified the starting rotation behind Garrett Crochet, the signs seem pointed toward the Red Sox adding a big bat next," Rymer wrote Tuesday. "As much as the Red Sox -- who are reportedly willing to exceed the luxury tax, per Sean McAdam of MassLive -- should want Bregman back, Alonso is the guy their lineup really needs.
..."And can you imagine Alonso at Fenway Park? Mercy. Even if he isn't the type of dead-pull hitter who could take full advantage of the Green Monster, it wouldn't exactly hurt him either. These things alone make the Red Sox a better bet to back up a Brinks truck for Alonso than the Mets are, and then there's the Casas angle in all this. He's too talented to give up on, but a permanent shift to DH could only help keep him healthy after back-to-back injury-marred seasons."
Alonso would be a perfect fit to join Boston. The Red Sox need a right-handed power hitter, and the five-time All-Star is one of the best in the league. Alonso has mashed 34 or more home runs in every season of his career, despite the shortened 2020 season, and would give the Red Sox more power in the middle of the lineup.
With Triston Casas' injury history and regression last season, it would be surprising to see the Red Sox not sign another first baseman this offseason. Why not pursue the top first baseman available in free agency?
More MLB: Red Sox Urged To ‘Sell High’ On 25-Year-Old Gold Glove Winner
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