At the Jan. 11 Fenway Fest, the newest iteration of the Boston Red Sox's winter fan festival, the organization's past, present, and future were on display.
Red Sox fans, players and icons gathered at Fenway Park on Saturday to offer a reprieve from the chaos of the offseason and to shorten the long winter without baseball. But Boston's 2025 squad isn't completely constructed yet, and many of the hundreds of fans and players gathered at Fenway have one player in mind who'd instantly change the landscape of the team around him.
Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer David Ortiz isn't afraid to say who or what he thinks Boston needs to field a competitive team. He praised the front office for its pitching additions this winter but called for another bat to turn the Sox into a playoff squad. He said everything but his dream target's name.
“To put a good lineup together nowadays is not that difficult. What you got to do is just make it rain, and you can go pick a few guys," Ortiz said. ". . . We line up a couple of thunders in the lineup to help (Rafael Devers) and the rest of the boys — one good bat would do.”
David Ortiz suggests Red Sox 'make it rain,' sign Alex Bregman to bolster lineup
"PLEASE! PLEASE... to put a good lineup together, nowadays, is not that difficult. What you gotta do is just make it rain." 💸 @davidortiz NEEDS October baseball at Fenway @TomCaron | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/4uq9pbFCX3
— NESN (@NESN) January 11, 2025
The Red Sox have been linked to a few talented bats this winter, but one has fans calling for the team to "make it rain" more than the rest. Alex Bregman's winning pedigree and history of success at Fenway Park would certainly bring some of the "thunder" Ortiz has been hoping for.
Bregman would be a definite defensive improvement at third base over Devers, but he could also thrive at second if Boston opposes moving Devers or wants more experience in the middle infield than Vaughn Grissom or Kristian Campbell can offer. The veteran represents a much-needed righty bat that would balance the Sox's offense after right-hander Tyler O'Neill signed with the Orioles in December.
Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with a career-low .768 OPS in 145 games with the Astros last season. Fenway Park could be the perfect place for the infielder to bounce back — Bregman has slashed .375/.490/.750 with a 1.240 OPS, seven homers and 15 RBI in 21 career appearances in Boston.
Signing Bregman would, as Big Papi said, require the Red Sox to "make it rain," which the front office has attested it's willing to do — albeit without evidence. The veteran seeks a deal for around seven years at $200 million, and despite Boston showing no interest in spending that kind of money on free agents in the past, spending is key to winning. If the Sox hope to make good on their promise to field a team that can win the American League East in 2025, signing Bregman could be the fastest way to get there.