Now that the initial shock of the move has been swallowed and dealt with, it’s about time for Red Sox fans to pick themselves up off the mat and start looking ahead to what might come along now that Rafael Devers–and his $313 million contract–are no longer on the books.
In the short term, the Red Sox can be aggressive at next month’s trade deadline. In the long term, though, they can start thinking about addressing major needs with major spending. As good as Devers was with the bat, he was a poor third baseman who refused to try to play first base. That was always going to make him an awkward fit with this team.
Now, it’s on to finding better fits, as NBC Sports Boston highlighted this week in the wake of the Devers deal. Surely the Red Sox will try to find a first-base bat at the July trade deadline, one who could hold the team over for the rest of 2025. But after that, adding a slugger at first could be Priority 1 in the offseason.
Red Sox a Perfect Fit for Pete Alonso
There is one who could well be available, too: Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who is putting on a terrific season after New York repeatedly low-balled him in free agency this year. Alonso got a two-year, $54 million contract from the Mets that features an opt-out after this season.
Alonso is batting .293 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs. He is fourth in baseball with a .960 OPS. Safe to say, he will be opting out.
In looking at targets, NBC Boston highlighted Alonso, writing, “The Red Sox have a massive need for a first baseman, the position where Alonso has made a huge impact on the Mets for many years. … Alonso will be 31 in December, and he might need to switch to DH at some point, but his ability to play first base and be very productive at the plate would make him an interesting target for Boston.”
Dropping Alonso’s right-handed bat into Fenway Park would be ideal for him and for the Red Sox. It’ll be tough negotiating against the deep-pocketed Mets, but Alonso might be looking for an out after the Mets lavished cash on Juan Soto last winter and gave Alonso such a cold shoulder.
Spotrac puts his market value at four years and $124 million, a similar AAV commitment as the one to Devers, but on a shorter term. And Alonso has no problem playing first base.
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