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Craig Breslow addresses Red Sox decision to pass on All-Star 1B Pete Alonso
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- Craig Breslow addresses Red Sox decision to pass on All-Star 1B Pete Alonso
Plenty of high-profile position players hit free agency this winter, but the Red Sox opted not to sign any of them.
While Boston ’s All-Star Alex Bregman left to ink a deal with the Cubs, Kyle Tucker signed with the Dodgers, Bo Bichette landed with the Mets, and Pete Alonso went to the Orioles.
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On WEEI’s Greg Hill Show Friday morning, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow was asked why the Red Sox didn’t sign Alonso specifically. The five-time All-Star signed a five-year, $155 million contract with Baltimore , while the Red Sox opted to trade for Willson Contreras to fill their first base void instead.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of any individual free agent pursuit. Pete is a very good player who I’m sure is going to have a good season in Baltimore,” Breslow said. “But we’ve got 65 guys in camp right now who deserve our attention.”
The executive was then asked who on the current roster he believes is capable of hitting the 30 home run mark.
“There are a few guys that I think are capable of going out and hitting 30 home runs,” Breslow said. “Now, what I’d say is, if we won’t have someone who hits 30 home runs and we fall short of our goals and the reason is because nobody hits 30 home runs, then I think the criticism would be fair to say, ‘Well, we didn’t have enough power in the lineup.’ We’ve gotta find ways to win games.”
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Breslow then pointed to Trevor Story ’s 25 home runs last season and singled out Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony as candidates to homer 30 times.
Ultimately, the Red Sox pivoted away from offense this offseason, instead signing Ranger Suarez in free agency, trading for Sonny Gray , and adding above average defenders Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
“We went into the offseason recognizing a need to improve the roster,” Breslow said. “Offensively, the ability to hit the ball out of the park, that was one path — and it was a stated path — but when we weren’t able to find common ground on some of those opportunities, we still needed to work backwards from that stated goal of improving the roster.”
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