On Wednesday, Pete Alonso finally found himself a new home. After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the New York Mets, it was reported that Alonso had decided to sign with the Baltimore Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract — a deal that would pay him an average of $31 million over the duration of that deal. But before Alonso signed with the Orioles, he had plenty of suitors, including another AL East team in the Boston Red Sox.
However, the Red Sox couldn't really qualify as a serious suitor for Alonso in the end. According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox's final offer for the veteran first baseman was for “fewer years and significantly less money” than what the Orioles put on the table. This was because they were “wary” of his age and how badly the contract might age.
Considering the Red Sox's dealings in recent times, their aversion to going all-out in their pursuit of Alonso, despite their need for a heavy hitter in the middle of the lineup, is not surprising. This was the team that traded Rafael Devers away in the early goings of his huge contract extension, after all.
Alonso is now 31 years of age, and he's been remarkably consistent for his entire career, so perhaps the veteran first baseman would prove the Red Sox wrong now that they're sharing the same division.
Red Sox look for more power production
Last season, Trevor Story led the Red Sox in home runs, with 25. While Boston did rank seventh last season in total runs scored, they are looking to bolster their production even further to keep in step with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, two of the top power options in free agency, are gone. A trade might be their best way to acquire the power bat they need, and they have the assets anyway to pull off a blockbuster for someone like Corey Seager.
