The Boston Red Sox have been one of the most active teams this offseason, but mostly in the trade market. That could change at the winter meetings.

The Red Sox have addressed their pitching with trades for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, but could shift their focus to the position player market. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted the Red Sox would sign Pete Alonso at the winter meetings.

Alonso has hit the third-most home runs in baseball since he made his debut in 2019. While his offense is certainly worth what he will demand on the open market, his defense is a major concern.

Alonso is one of the worst first basemen in baseball when it comes to defense. He has a minus-34 outs above average since 2019. His defense is a major flaw in his game, and perhaps why the New York Mets may allow him to walk.

After the season, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke about his desire to improve the Mets’ run prevention and defense. Paying Alonso what he may be looking for may not be in line with his vision for the team.

Adding Alonso would do wonders for the Red Sox’s lineup, but they would need to find a way to make sure his defense does not hold the team back. One way to do that would be to use him more as a designated hitter.

In 1,008 career games, Alonso has only appeared as a designated hitter 60 times. However, his agent, Scott Boras, has noted this winter that he is willing to play more as a designated hitter moving forward. Doing so would keep his glove off the field more often and also allow Triston Casas to keep getting reps at first base.

Alonso’s defense is certainly an important talking point when teams consider paying him. However, the Red Sox may see what he does at the plate as something that outweighs his defensive woes.