The Red Sox Reportedly Offered Less Years And Money To Pete Alonso And Pathetically Lost Out On Him To The Orioles
"Tuesday is a big day for the Red Sox, as part of a crucial offseason. The team keeps saying they know they have more work to do after losing to the Yankees in the playoffs and that they know this is their "window of contention." Adding Pete Alonso to the lineup would show the fans they are men of their word."
I wrote those three sentences on Monday Night. It took the Red Sox less than 48 hours to make me look like an asshole.
Pete Alsono is not a member of the Red Sox. No, he signed with division rival Baltimore on Wednesday, reportedly on a 5-year, $155 million deal.
And I guess I am an asshole for believing what they were selling about the offseason.
They talked about that "window of contention." They said they knew they couldn't be content with just making the playoffs - that they had to get better. Hell, President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow just gave us this quote on Monday -
"We still are going to prioritize someone who can hit in the middle of the order and kind of change the overall outlook of the offense,” said Breslow.
Two days later, the two biggest bats like that linked to the Red Sox in FA, Kyle Schwarber and Alonso, are off the board.
Alonso made so much sense in Boston that it makes you sick. Right-handed bat at Fenway. Power to replace Rafael Devers. Already had success in a big market. Hell, his wife is from Quincy, MA!
Maybe the Sox made him a fair offer, but Alonso just really wanted those Jimmy's crab cakes in Baltimore. I could live with that, I guess.
"Fewer years and significantly less money."
You gotta be kidding me. I 100% believe the report from The Boston Globe's Tim Healey because
1. He had been the Mets beat for years, where Alonso played.
2. It's the Red Sox, who only want guys at THEIR price.
They're a franchise worth almost $5 billion, and they operate as if they'd rather be the Tampa Bay Rays when it comes to free agency. Hell, they reportedly didn't even make a formal offer to Schwarber. What a joke.
Meanwhile, they just gave free agent Alex Bregman and his agent Scott Boras MASSIVE leverage to get whatever they can from the Red Sox. And now there's a chance he walks, AND you didn't get Schwarber or Alonso. What a disaster.
Bad, bad day for the Red Sox. Bad day for Bres. Bad day for ownership. Bad for the fans. And really bad for Sox announcer Will Flemming, who posted this just 24 hours ago.
Can confirm - I'm not smiling, Will.
Pivot time for the Sox. Sign Eugenio Suárez? Trade for Ketel Marte? Bring in Kazuma Okamoto? I guess?
Those would all be Plan Bs for me—and most Sox fans. Plan A was Pete Alonso, and he's in Baltimore. Or Kyle Schwarber, and he's back in Philly.
Meanwhile, it seems like the Red Sox still have no real plan on how to add the coveted power bat to their lineup.