Pete Alonso is now being viewed as a primary target for a top AL contender — and the chase could get intense fast. DD
Pete Alonso is reportedly a “primary target” for the Boston Red Sox.
This AL East team seems to have its eyes set on signing Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets.
According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, the Boston Red Sox are reportedly viewing Alonso as well as fellow free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber as a “primary target” ahead of the start of next week’s Winter Meetings.
This news comes after Jim Bowden, also of The Athletic, reported on Wednesday that the Mets and Red Sox are the two most likely landing spots for Alonso this offseason. The Amazins’ have also shown reported interest in Schwarber to be their primary designated hitter.
Alonso, who turns 31 on Saturday, opted out of the two-year, $54 million deal he signed with New York last winter and is expected to sign a large contract after a historic season for the Mets in 2025. The Polar Bear appeared in all 162 regular season games for the second straight season and batted .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs, 126 RBI (second in all of baseball behind the aforementioned Schwarber), a NL-leading 41 doubles and an OPS of .871.
This past season also saw Alonso cement himself as a Mets legend. On August 12 against the Atlanta Braves, he surpassed Darryl Strawberry as the Mets’ home run king when he clubbed his 253rd career long ball. He finished his 2025 campaign sitting comfortably atop the franchise’s leaderboard with 264 career homers.
It was a much-needed bounce-back season for the slugging first baseman after he posted a career-worst .788 OPS in 2024, resulting in settling on that two-year contract he inked with the Mets.
With Alonso now back on the open market, it appears that the Mets are in a two-team race with the Red Sox for his services. Boston is coming off their first playoff appearance since 2021, which saw them fall to the Mets’ cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in three games in the AL Wild Card Series.
The Red Sox are looking for a bat to bolster their lineup and compliment their young talent, especially after Alex Bregman opted out of the three-year deal he signed with them last offseason. Boston, however, is still interested in re-signing the All-Star third baseman.
Despite David Stearns stating that he would love to have Alonso back with the Mets next season and potentially for the rest of his playing career, it remains to be seen if he is willing to sign the homegrown first baseman to a long-term deal.
