Red Sox can hurt the NY Mets in another way after missing out on Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso seemed destined to stay with the New York Mets or go to the Boston Red Sox. Instead, the Baltimore Orioles will have him for the next five seasons. The first base market is kind of deep in free agency yet lacks some punch. Where do the Mets turn? The hottest trade target right now is Willson Contreras.

Owed a little under $40 million in each of the next two seasons, the former All-Star catcher moved to first base full-time and had a spectacular defensive year. He hit the ball well, mashing 20 home runs and driving in 80. It’s a big offensive step down from Alonso and yet satisfying for the way he may be able to field the position if last year was no anomaly.

Redbird Rants has been all over possible Contreras trades. They made a connection that doesn’t go to the 7-Line in Queens. They see former Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom lining up with his former ball club to give the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman a new home up in Beantown. There's smoke with this fire. The Red Sox are interested in him.

The Red Sox-Cardinals may have another trade in them and this one’s going to remove one of the better possibilities for the Mets

The Red Sox and Cardinals already swapped two pitchers for Sonny Gray. Is another deal on the way? Boston is shopping in the same market as the Mets for a first baseman. Their clear need for some stability at the position had everyone believing and predicting if Alonso wasn’t going to remain with the Mets, he’d head north to put some dents in the Big Green Monster for 81 regular season games a year.

David Stearns and Craig Breslow in Boston have connected on a number of trades in the last 2+ years. However, none have been of this same magnitude. They’ve been lesser deals, one of the first sending Rule 5 Draft pick Justin Slaten to Boston. Others have included Pablo Reyes for cash coming to New York. Stearns did manage to cut a deal with Bloom over the summer when Ryan Helsley joined the Mets for a painful two months.

A potential bidding war for Contreras is the best possible news for the Cardinals who’d like to shed some salary. They haven’t been able to find a taker for Nolan Arenado dating back to next year, possibly in part because they weren’t willing to eat enough salary or didn’t like the return. It does take two to tango, but with Contreras’ rise as a gifted defensive first baseman and two teams who badly want to improve first base, they can hold out for a perceived ridiculous offer.

It shouldn’t require the Mets to give up any of their truly noteworthy prospects for Contreras. In a bit of a reset mode, they figure to want anything from near MLB-ready to a few guys further away. When the Mets acquired Helsley it was for three prospects who we can assume won’t debut until 2027 at the earliest. Those same rules may apply here.