Red Sox Predicted To Win Sweepstakes For Five-Time All-Star Slugger

The Boston Red Sox ranked 15th in home runs last season overall, but hit the fewest home runs of any team in the final two months of the regular season. The Red Sox have a solid roster, but may need to add some more power.

If the Red Sox want to spend big on power hitters, this is the offseason to do so. Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber and Eugenio Suárez are all free agents, and any one of them could bring elite power to Boston. Schwarber and Alonso are two of the best players on the open market and figure to have plenty of suitors. FanSided’s Christopher Kline predicted the Red Sox would win the sweepstakes for Alonso.

“It almost feels like a forgone conclusion that Pete Alonso will depart the (New York) Mets this offseason,” wrote Kline on Thursday. “That’s a strange feeling, as Alonso has become synonymous with Mets baseball over the years. But he’s an aging first baseman, trending toward DH status, and it’s unlike David Stearns to hand a player in Alonso’s bucket the long-term contract he wants — and deserves.”

Only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber have hit more home runs than Alonso since he made his debut in 2019. Last season, he set a career high in batting average, proving he can be more than just a power threat.

Alonso is a five-time All-Star, but is not an elite defender. The Red Sox could use him at first base if Triston Casas misses time to start the year, and then have him serve as the designated hitter if they think his defense is a liability.

Alonso has done a great job of simply being available throughout his career. He has never missed more than 10 games in a season, and has played in 162 games in each of the last two seasons.

For what he lacks in defense, he makes up for at the plate. He has a career .857 OPS and is the Mets’ all-time home run leader. He will not be cheap, but will bring some much-needed power to Boston’s lineup.