Potential Red Sox Free Agent Target Adds His Name To Record Book
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow came up empty when he went shopping for a power-hitting first baseman before the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Should he want to add a slugger to the lineup in free agency, one of the biggest bats in baseball could be on the open market.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is expected to opt out of his two-year, $54 million contract this fall. What he did Tuesday will no doubt drive up his asking price.
Alonso hit his 253rd career home run, setting a new Mets record. And for good measure, he later added No. 254, helping New York beat the Atlanta Braves, 13-5, at Citi Field.
Darryl Strawberry, who hit 252 home runs for the Mets, held the club record since 1988, according to ESPN.
“As a kid, you don’t really think that it’s in the realm of the possibility to be a franchise home run leader,” Alonso said after the game, per ESPN. “You just want to get to the big leagues and give it your best. And the dream is really kind of this opaque and unknown thing. You just want to get there and compete, play for a World Series, play winning baseball.
“I mean, it’s a wild dream, to be honest, and it’s really special,” Alonso added.
Alonso has played in 965 games, 141 fewer than Strawberry did for the Mets, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo noted Tuesday.
“You have worked hard, you have stood up in the pressure of New York City and you have played well,” Strawberry said in a video posted by the Mets on X. “It’s well-deserved. You are a homegrown player. Again, congratulations and continue to have great success. All the best, buddy.”
Alonso has 28 home runs this season, which is tied for fourth in the National League. He’s second in the NL with 96 RBIs.
A five-time All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby champion, Alonso is helping the Mets remain in playoff contention. New York (64-55) is in second place in the NL East, five games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets currently occupy the third NL wild card.