ORLANDO, Fla. -- As Kyle Schwarber slipped away as a potential power bat for the Red Sox by returning to the Phillies, the focus for Boston narrowed in even more on Pete Alonso’s big right-handed bat.
Of the potential fit between Alonso and Fenway Park’s inviting Green Monster, agent Scott Boras offered this:
“The numbers illustrate that Pete hits really well [at Fenway],” Boras said. “Sees the ball well. [He would be a] big man in small quarters. It's nice to be the redwood tree in the forest, I guess."
Meanwhile, Sox manager Alex Cora was unfazed by the first major news development of the Winter Meetings, instead showing happiness for Schwarber (his former player from 2021) while remaining supremely confident chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will find the upgrade his team needs in the middle of the lineup.
“There's different ways to improve the lineup,” Cora said. “It can be trades. It can be free agency. It can be player development. Let's see what happens.”
Roman Anthony hit eight homers in a rookie season that was shortened by a June callup and a late-season injury, but it wouldn’t shock anyone if he made a jump into the mid-20s. Wilyer Abreu mashed 22 homers in 373 at-bats, and he had a chance to reach 30 if not for two stints on the injured list. There is also the expected return of Triston Casas from a near season-long absence after going into the 2025 season as Boston’s cleanup hitter.
“Yeah, we would love to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I think getting guys healthy is going to benefit that,” said Cora. “And, of course, there's guys out there that can actually help us to accomplish that.”
Here are some other takeaways from Cora’s Tuesday briefing at the Winter Meetings:
What about Bregman?
It was just a year ago at the Meetings that Cora extolled the virtues of free agent Alex Bregman, who ultimately signed with the Sox on a three-year deal that included opt-outs after the first two seasons. Bregman quickly utilized that first opt-out and is back on the market. While the union between the Sox and Bregman was a good one, Cora is toeing the fine line of keeping in touch with the third baseman without putting pressure on him.
“We've been texting a lot about his facility in Arizona, and he's asking about my kids and all that,” said Cora. “One thing I learned last year throughout the process, less is more in certain situations. And our relationship has kept growing. It grew last year. We became closer than in the past, and I love the kid. I love his family. He feels the same way about mine.”
Rotation has improved
Cora, who always says the Red Sox will go as far as the pitching will take them, is excited about the recent trades that brought Sonny Gray over from the Cardinals and the lesser-known Johan Oviedo from the Pirates.
“I think we've got stuff, and different types,” Cora said. “One throws hard, the other spins the ball. Oviedo with the extension is intriguing. We saw him last year. He was good against us.”
Rafaela’s next step
Not only did center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela win his first Gold Glove Award in 2025, Cora thought he should have been the Platinum Award winner also. That said, the manager noted that Rafaela needs to become a more complete player in his third full season.
“Offensively, I think we need more,” Cora said. “The last two years, August, September [he declined]. We know he swings. We know he chases, but it goes up [later in the season].
"And we have challenged him physically, and he tries to gain weight. It's hard for him. I would love to eat the way he eats and not gain weight. For him, it's a challenge. Hopefully he can gain some pounds in the offseason and get stronger so he can sustain his physicality throughout the season. He got tired at the end offensively. It's on us, it's on him to get better in that aspect, but [he's] the player we love.”
Gray’s rivalry comments
While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman took exception to Gray’s recent comments about his time in New York, Cora views it as more good fodder for the rivalry.
“It’s good for the rivalry, it's good for us. And I hope he feels the same way about the 29 other teams,” Cora said. “But I think it's good for everybody to write about it, and it's good for our rivalry.”