Mets and Red Sox can agree to inadvertent Pete Alonso ‘trade’

The New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have interest in each other’s free agents, which could lead to an inadvertent swap this offseason. Following the BoSox’s DFA-ing of 1B Nathaniel Lowe, Rising Apple’s Stephen Parello sees the former World Series champion with the Texas Rangers as a perfect bargain bin option for the Mets.

Parello also sees Boston as free agent 1B Pete Alonso’s most likely destination, given that transaction.

“One of the Mets' chief rivals in the Alonso sweepstakes is the Boston Red Sox. Their top decision maker, Craig Breslow, has made it clear that, in addition to bringing back Alex Bregman, upgrading his lineup's pop is a top priority,” Parello wrote.

“Alonso and first base seem to be the likely way they can do that, and as a result, they've non-tendered first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who could now become an excellent bargain candidate for the Mets.”

Heavy Sports’ Matt Skillings disagrees with Parello on 3B Alex Bregman, though. While Parello sees the Red Sox having a strong chance to bring Bregman back, Skillings sees a potential Bregman-Alonso free agency non-trade swap being possible.

“If Alex Bregman does sign a contract with the New York Mets, it could light a fire under Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow to make a retaliatory move and sign Alonso. Boston has shown penny-pinching instincts in recent years, albeit before last season when they signed Bregman, Garrett Crochet and a slew of youngsters to deals,” Skillings wrote.

“Signing Alonso makes all the sense in the world for Boston. First and foremost, it would prove to the fanbase that the days of trying the ‘moneyball’ approach are over, and that the Red Sox are invested in spending money to win.

“Secondly, Alonso fills a vital need for Boston, both in the lineup and in the field. Without Bregman and Rafael Devers who was traded last season, power hitting was a huge concern for the Red Sox last season, a role Alonso could fill to perfection, especially with the green monster on his side for 81 games a season.”

From the sounds of it, the industry is expecting the Red Sox and Mets to be strongly intertwined this offseason, though not directly. We’ll see if a big contract is heading both ways, or if Boston is the one left spending on Alonso and Bregman as New York scoops him up on the cheap.