Red Sox’s ‘Big’ Priority? Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso, But AL East Rival Chasing
Schwarber and Alonso are the best power bats on the market
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s holiday to-do list got shorter last week when he traded for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray.
Re-signing third baseman Alex Bregman would seem to be the next item on his agenda, but what if the Red Sox whiff on the three-time All-Star?
That was the question posed to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey during an appearance on MLB Network. Her answer relied on Breslow’s previously stated desire to add some thump to the lineup.
In The Mix
“To us, that says they’re going hard after [Pete] Alonso. (Kyle) Schwarber in the mix as well,” McCaffrey said.
“They’re pretty much gonna be focused on how are they gonna increase their offense? Be better at hitting home runs.They finished right in the middle of the league last year,” McCaffrey added.
“That’s not good enough. And they talked a lot about that. Just watching teams in the postseason. You need home run potential,” McCaffrey noted. “They know that and I think that’s going to be the next big priority for them.”
Also In Pursuit
Problem is, the Red Sox aren’t alone in wanting one of free agency’s premier power bats.
“The Orioles look like a potential winter wild card as they work hard to bounce back from a shockingly disappointing season,” The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported. “They are pursuing a frontline starter, closer and big bat. … The Orioles are among many pursuing Schwarber as he’s a nice fit for their 1B/DH need.
“They also checked on Alonso, but that may be slightly less likely now that they’ve tendered Ryan Mountcastle a contract,” Heyman added.
Baltimore signaled just how serious it is about free agency by signing closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract over the weekend.
As for Schwarber and Alonso, signing them won’t come cheap. Both are projected to receive contracts worth in the neighborhood of $30 million per year.
Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter, led the National League last year with a career-high 56 home runs.
Alonso, the long-time New York Mets first baseman, was second in the majors with 126 RBIs. He trailed only Schwarber and his 132 RBIs, which was another personal best for the lefty bat who spent part of the 2021 season with the Red Sox and helped Boston reach the American League Championship Series.
