Crucial decisions loom for Red Sox on Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso. They don’t have to be an either/or.
The Sox also have the opportunity to double down and sign first baseman Pete Alonso. It’s not Bregman or Alonso, it could be both.
That conversation has been had at the Winter Meetings this week and it’s not fantasy baseball.
Winning a championship in the era of the Dodgers relentlessly building a dynasty requires bold moves. The Blue Jays responded to their heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the World Series by signing righthander Dylan Cease for seven years and $210 million. They also plan to add to their lineup.
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The Sox have done well building their roster, but scoring only six runs over three games of the Wild Card Series against the Yankees was evidence that more power is needed. They hit one home run in 96 at-bats.
Bregman’s quad strain in June was a big factor. He had a .983 OPS before the injury, missed seven weeks, then hit .250 with a .724 OPS the rest of the season. He’s fully healthy now.
Signing Alonso and Bregman would require financial creativity to lessen the salary tax burden on the Sox. Alonso could be open to such a deal given that his wife, Haley, is a Quincy native and the couple had their first child in September.
That Scott Boras represents both players could help in that endeavor.
Alonso has averaged 39 home runs and 111 RBIs the last five seasons and missed only 20 games. His righthanded swing is built for Fenway Park and his success with the Mets is ample proof that he could handle playing in Boston.
There are other avenues. The Sox could sign one of the star hitters along with 34-year-old infielder Eugenio Suárez to a shorter-term deal. Suárez has averaged 33 home runs and 100 RBIs the last four seasons and is interested in the Sox.
The Sox also could use their surplus of outfielders and pitching prospect depth to trade for an established hitter. Those talks have picked up steam this week.
“We’re going to be aggressive and decisive in trying to improve our roster,” Craig Breslow said on Tuesday.
Mets slugger Pete Alonso is also on the Red Sox radar screen.Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
The Sox made the necessary additions to their rotation with the trades for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. The two starters will cost $23 million against the luxury tax, a bargain given the high cost of pitching on the free-agent market.
The Sox have shown the willingness to exceed luxury tax thresholds when they felt the opportunity was there to win a championship. That window has opened again.
The pitching is in place and there is cost-controlled young position-player talent throughout the roster. Adding Alonso and Bregman could have the same impact as the signing of J.D. Martinez in 2018, only larger.
Martinez turned a team that couldn’t get past the Division Series into a champion.
Another example is what Kyle Schwarber did for the Sox over 7½ weeks in 2021. His .957 OPS over 41 games changed the look of the lineup and his personality made a big impression on the clubhouse and how other players prepared for games.
That team went to the ALCS. The Sox have not won a playoff series since.
Schwarber agreed on Tuesday to a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in Philadelphia. The Phillies understood his importance. The Sox have the same opportunity with Bregman and Alonso. It’s one they should take.
Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.
