The Cincinnati Reds have been surprisingly active this offseason. They signed outfielder Austin Hays to a one-year deal and traded for reliever Tyler Rogers, and they attempted to pull off a blockbuster trade for outfielder Luis Robert but ultimately came up short. However, they could swoop in and take the most prominent free agent remaining with the offseason winding down.
The Reds could make a push to sign Pete Alonso
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Reds “may consider” offering a contract to free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. It is widely expected that the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are the biggest players for Alonso, but an impasse exists between him and both clubs due to lofty contract demands.
Teams are hesitant to offer any sort of long-term deal to Alonso, who has proven to be a great source of power but also very volatile. Last season with the Mets, he hit 34 home runs and drove in 88 runs but posted the lowest OPS of his career at .788.
A team like the Reds could strongly benefit from adding Alonso despite that. They are building around a potential future superstar in Elly De La Cruz, and Alonso could provide them with a true second star that would deepen a young and promising lineup that Cincinnati has.
The Reds are still a ways away from being true contenders, as they finished 77-85 last season and missed the postseason while they focus on developing their younger players. However, if they were to add Alonso, they could have an outside chance to win the NL Central division given how weak it currently is.
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The Reds would have to make a massive financial commitment to sign Alonso
If De La Cruz continues to take steps forward and Alonso brings his usual power to the table, the Reds could have themselves a very good one-two punch in their lineup. The main stipulation is whether or not they can afford Alonso, as signing him will require a massive financial commitment that the Reds are not accustomed to.
The largest contract the Reds have ever handed out was to Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos, as they both signed four-year, $64 million contracts in the 2020 offseason. Therefore, they would likely eclipse that annual value of $16 million if they were to sign Alonso, as his demands are much more than $16 million per year.
Ultimately, time will tell if the Reds make a serious push for Alonso or if they are just merely putting themselves out there as another potential suitor for him.
