To no one's surprise, the Boston Red Sox seem unwilling to meet Alex Bregman's demands for a long-term contract, to the point that the team has been accused of "playing chicken" with the third baseman by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry is on record saying he's weary of dishing out long-term deals to baseball players despite being one of the wealthiest owners in the league. Bregman's camp reportedly seeks a deal in the seven-year range, and Boston is not comfortable giving veterans that much time.
Luckily for the Red Sox, another free agent has recently lessened the ideal number of years he'd like to sign for. Anthony Santander, a longtime division rival, initially hoped for a five-year contract but is now open to a short-term deal with a high average annual value (AAV), per Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Santander's offseason seems to have taken the same direction as four players' 2024 markets — Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger became known as the "[Scott] Boras Four" last offseason after they all sought expensive, long-term deals that no teams went for. Snell and Chapman pivoted and signed short-term deals with the Giants, which Chapman turned into a six-year extension and Snell earned a five-year deal with the Dodgers for his 3.12 ERA performance.
Red Sox could turn interest to Anthony Santander now that he's open to a short-term deal
#MLBNHotStove reacts to reports of Anthony Santander and Jack Flaherty potentially being open to short-term contracts as they navigate free agency this offseason. pic.twitter.com/YnVVBMezEu
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 13, 2025
If Santander is looking for a one or two-year "prove it" deal, Boston could be a great location for him. The Red Sox lost their 2024 home run leader, Tyler O'Neill, to the Orioles in December, and Santander could replace his power and more.
Santander is a switch-hitter, although his right-handed production was slightly less than his numbers from the lefty batter's box in 2024. The veteran clocked a .822 OPS in 485 plate appearances as a lefty batter against righty pitchers and a .793 in 180 plate appearances as a righty hitter against southpaws.
The 30-year-old mashed a career-high 44 homers last season, 13 more than O'Neill's Red Sox-leading number. If the Sox don't want to sign Bregman, Santander could slot into O'Neill's 2024 role as a platoon outfielder who can slug from both sides of the plate in appropriate matchup-based situations.
There's no reason for the Red Sox to be so hesitant to sign Bregman. He's an experienced hitter and infielder and a proven winner — his two World Series championships and 2024 Gold Glove Award prove it. But if Bregman's demands are just too much for Boston, Santander would be a solid, slugging consolation prize more within the team's comfort zone.