The Boston Red Sox have lacked right-handed power in recent seasons, which makes Pete Alonso a highly intriguing free agent.
Alonso is the New York Mets’ all-time home run leader despite only having seven seasons under his belt, and he’s got three years with at least 40 long balls under his belt. The Red Sox have had zero such seasons since Alonso debuted in the majors in 2019.
But there’s almost always an argument to be made against signing each big-name free agent, and one insider is cautioning the Red Sox against some of the potential pitfalls with Alonso.
Jul 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) on the first base line after getting hit by a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
On Friday, MassLive’s Sean McAdam provided some reasons that the Red Sox should be cautious about the idea of signing Alonso, mainly centering his argument on his potential aging curve and one-dimensional playing style.
“Alonso has averaged almost exactly 40 homers over the last four years and his righthanded pull power would play well in Fenway even if the left field wall might limit his homer totals,” McAdam wrote. “But there are two elements to consider here.
“For one thing, Alonso is a well-below average defender at first base. He had -9 defensive runs saved last year and his OAA (outs above average) was similarly alarming, also at -9, placing him in the bottom two percentile ranking among all players. And that brings up the potential risks of giving Alonso the kind of contract — seven or eight years in length at minimum — he’s said to be seeking.”
On one hand, McAdam’s notion that paying Alonso in years six through eight of a long-term contract could prove disastrous. However, what evidence is there to suggest that some other team will be interested in paying that contract?
The Mets know what they have in Alonso, and they weren’t okaying anything close to seven years for him last offseason with David Stearns running the front office. The New York Yankees? Their books are flooded with expensive long-term deals already. The Seattle Mariners? We’ll believe it when we see it.
The Red Sox should be optimistic about their chances of getting Alonso to settle for something in the five-year range, and if he does so, they should pounce at the opportunity to land the kind of power hitter they’ve been sorely missing.
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