By Drew VonScioShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe offseason plan for the Boston Red Sox has been made very clear by Craig Breslow: Bolster the rotation and grab an impactful bat.
Sonny Gray may not be the flashy name that everyone expected Boston to pursue, but he is still an upgrade given the state of the rotation prior to his acquisition. For now, the focus appears to shift to landing a quality hitter as the winter meetings quickly approach.
One area that has a lot of questions for the Red Sox is first base, and it's a major part of Mark Feinsand's reasoning as to why New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is a perfect fit for Boston this winter.
..."First base was an issue for the Red Sox, who may not be sold on Triston Casas as the future at the position," Feinsand wrote for MLB.com. Boston wants to add an impact bat, and few players on this year’s market can have the impact of Alonso, who slugged 38 homers with 126 RBIs and an .871 OPS last season.
The thought of watching Alonso crush home runs over the Green Monster should be something that gets every Red Sox fan excited. He is in the top five for most impactful bats that could be acquired this offseason, and he certainly could be at the top of that list if it wasn't for this year's free agency class being filled with a lot of talent.
Casas hasn't done enough for the Red Sox to have faith in him moving forward as the sole occupant of first base. The best case scenario for him would likely be a platoon situation, otherwise he will join Jarren Duran on the trade block.
If the Red Sox do pursue Alonso, he won't be cheap. Multiple reports are projecting Alonso's price to be between around $180 million this winter over the course of 4-5 years. Even if Alonso does have to shift to become a designated hitter in the near future, his contract could still have value if he keeps hitting the way he has been. Kyle Schwarber is living proof of that and is also expected to receive a major contract this winter.
More MLB: Phillies Insider Reveals Major Update on $164 Million Pitcher
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