It didn't take long for Boston Red Sox fans to fall in love with Alex Bregman. It's not hard to see why — the third baseman has embraced the city and is off to the best season of his career to this point.
Boston recently blew up its long-term plan at the hot corner, and Bregman seeks a permanent home after his drawn-out free agency during the 2024-25 offseason. He expressed interest in signing with the Red Sox, but they have not yet approached the star about a deal.
Boston may not approach him anytime soon, since it's more focused on the trade deadline, for the time being (per Sean McAdam of MassLive). Bregman is also locked into the current season and not offseason possibilities in one of baseball's great clichés. When reporters Peter Abraham and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe asked him about the possibility of a potential extension, he responded, "Maybe" (subscription required).
“I think for me, I’m focused on playing good baseball and trying to help this team win games. We’re obviously open to hearing whatever the Red Sox have to say,” Bregman said.
It may be a while before the Red Sox extend Alex Bregman
If both Bregman and the Red Sox are focused on the season at hand — as they should be, given Boston's recent 10-game winning streak and tight trade deadline competition — a contract extension negotiation may have to wait. Bregman likes Boston, and he's made that clear in multiple quotes and in his general attitude about playing for the Red Sox. But if he hits free agency and hears offers from other clubs, it could be a disaster for the Sox.
The Tigers nearly lured Bregman to Detroit before he signed with Boston, and his market will only grow if he continues on his current offensive pace. He's slashing .298/.380/.546 with a .926 OPS over 53 games, his hottest start in his 10-year career. Luckily for the Red Sox, part of his success could be due to park factors. His offense was tailor-made for Fenway Park, and he's slashing .314/.423/.605 with a 1.029 OPS over 50 games in his career. Other teams may see that as an admittedly small red flag, but Bregman may see it as a reason to stay in Boston for life.
The Red Sox have plenty of money after shipping Rafael Devers to the Giants, and they have no excuse not to use it to extend Bregman whenever he's ready. In an ideal world, that would be before the season is over, but that may not be possible given Boston's standing as a playoff team as the second half begins.