Pete Alonso Reportedly Met With Red Sox, Cubs Before $155M Orioles Contract

Pete Alonso ended up choosing the Baltimore Orioles in free agency, but there were reportedly multiple teams interested in the slugger.

After ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Alonso agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported he also met with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

That Boston and Chicago met with one of the league's best power hitters is not surprising.

The Cubs are going to have to figure out a way to replicate the lost production of Kyle Tucker assuming he signs elsewhere. While they play different positions, adding a bat like Alonso's into the lineup would have helped mitigate the loss of offensive firepower.

As for the Red Sox, they have been rather open about their desire to improve the offense.

"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," chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said, per Lauren Campbell of Mass Live.

Alas, the Orioles are the ones that ended up with him, which is more of a blow for Boston than Chicago since Baltimore is in the American League East with the Red Sox.

Alonso is just the type of hitter who can alter a division race given his resume that includes a National League Rookie of the Year, five All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and six seasons with more than 30 home runs. He also led the league with 53 home runs in 2019.

The 31-year-old was still effective last season for the New York Mets as a Silver Slugger and an All-Star who finished with a .272/.347/.524 slash line, 38 home runs and 126 RBI.

That type of production would be welcome in Baltimore, while the Cubs and Red Sox will have to look elsewhere for an impact bat.