Even after he opted out of his contract with the Red Sox, most reporters and insiders believe Alex Bregman will reunite with Boston in free agency.
Bregman's contract demands haven't yet been reported, since baseball is still being played and free agency isn't officially open. Still, the suspense is killing Red Sox fans — they don't have another true third baseman in their organization after the Rafael Devers trade, which freed up more than enough money to bring Bregman in long-term (which they always had in the first place). The third baseman has previously emphasized that finding a club to sign him for the rest of his career will be a "very high priority" this offseason, and most experts tend to believe that Boston will give him what he wants.
Writer Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report has broken from the crowd of Bregman rumors and predicted that the Detroit Tigers will land Bregman this offseason. Detroit was one of the final teams in line to land Bregman last winter, and he even admitted that he thought he would end up there until his Red Sox contract was signed.
Beaston notes that the Tigers made the playoffs in the last two seasons and they're just a few additions away from World Series contention. Bregman would be an upgrade over Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibañez on both sides of the ball and in terms of playoff experience and leadership.
Bleacher Report predicts Alex Bregman will leave Red Sox in free agency to join Tigers
The Red Sox benefitted from an unexpectedly short list of suitors for Bregman last offseason. Since none of the teams in the mix were willing to offer him a six-to-seven year deal in his desired price range, he opted for a short-term, high average annual value deal with Boston to serve as a bridge. His market could be far more competitive this time around.
The Red Sox front office has been hesitant to sign off on long-term deals in recent years, and the Rafael Devers trade is further proof of its aversion. The tides could be changing after Bregman helped the Sox return to the playoffs and with the Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony extensions on the books. Bregman's market could be significantly larger this coming offseason due to the otherwise underwhelming free agent class, and Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo believes the Sox may be more willing to let Bregman walk than most fans and other reporters would think.
Despite his age and potential durability concerns, Bregman is still the best option for Boston at third base. He has legitimate power potential while playing half his games at Fenway Park, he's a consistent hitter when healthy, and his defense remains top-notch. The Red Sox should do everything they can to bring Bregman back to play third base for the rest of his career, even if that means overpaying for his services in their eyes — they don't have any better options, and Bregman fit in with the Red Sox exceedingly well.