Despite it being the off-season, the New York Mets have not been able to get any rest, all thanks to the contractual situation of their star pupil, Pete Alonso. The first baseman had a good season with 170 total hits and an average of .272. He also holds the record for the Mets’ all-time home run leader with 264 HR. The Polar Bear has been with the Mets for seven years. Now, according to a recent insider report, Alonso’s future with the New York team might come to an end.

NY insider Joel Sherman currently revealed David Stearns‘ coveted offseason strategy, and that strategy does not go effectively with Alonso. Joel Sherman reported that Stearns kept mentioning “run prevention” multiple times during the end-of-season press conference. And run prevention is all about enhancing pitching and defense to stop rivals from scoring.

Sherman then added, “Is ‘run prevention’ Stearns’ Chekhov gun, since he so publicly offered it within 24 hours of the regular season ending? In other words, did Stearns tell us that Pete Alonso is not coming back without ever saying those words? Because we are no longer in the first act, with free agency having begun and Alonso available to all”.

Sherman’s statement could be true because Pete Alonso also struggled defensively with -9 DRS and -9 OAA. And, if run prevention is that important for the team, then Alonso will not get a place in the 2026 roster.

Then, as per Sherman, it will be tough to establish a powerful defensive team for the Mets if Alonso plays at first and Soto handles right field because they are identified more for their hitting skill, not defense. Juan Soto has a 15-year, $765 million deal with the team; however, Alonso has hit free agency. So, definitely, the Mets will not break the deal with Soto, and in that situation, they will not try to sign Alonso.

While Alonso might opt out of his contract. Bleacher Report’s Zachard Rymer does not see the Pola Bears’ exit as a smart decision. “This partnership has been going for seven years, and there’s no good reason for it to stop now”, from the Bleacher Report predicted that Pete Alonso will get a $150 million deal to stay with the Mets, even though his staying could affect the Mets’ defense.

So, how bad was their defense this season? As per Fangraphs’ defensive metrics, the Mets’ overall defensive rank was 19th. They were also at 19th position in FRV, 15th in DRS, and 21st in OAA.

The Mets also have some veteran stars like Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor, who are very costly and are not as strong defensively as before. They are also on the team with their no-trade clause, which is why it is tough for them to make defensive upgrades.

So, when Alonso’s future with the Mets looks uncertain, the Red Sox are getting linked with the star.

Are the Red Sox targeting Pete Alonso?

The Red Sox need a powerful right-handed star in their lineup and also a prime-time first baseman, and some insiders believe Pete Alonso will fit those needs of the Red Sox. As per MLB Trade Rumors, Pete Alonso is just behind Kyle Schwarber and Japan’s Munetakaka Murakami or Aaron Judge 2.0 in terms of available power bats in free agency.

And at this time, Tim Kelly from Bleacher Report predicted that the Red Sox could target Pete Alonso specifically, with Triston Casas’ uncertainty. He also predicted that the team could “replace Alex Bregman with Pete Alonso”. It is hard to think of a better team than the Red Sox for Alonso. Fenway Park will definitely help the star to shine. Its short left field dimension beckons will help the star to fly his balls over the Green Monster.

Now, only time will tell where Alonso will go. However, the connection between the Mets and Alonso is not going to be in the same dimension as it was before.