The Boston Red Sox whiffed on the top free-agent slugger left on the open market Wednesday.
Despite multiple reports tying Boston to free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso this winter, the 31-year-old All-Star reportedly opted to sign a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Wednesday’s news stands as a sizable setback for the Red Sox — given both Boston’s evident need for right-handed power in its lineup, as well as the pain of losing out to a coveted free-agent asset in a biding war with a fellow AL East team in Baltimore.