The Boston Red Sox's second free agent pursuit of Alex Bregman may soon be coming to an end. Some of the other top suitors formerly involved in his market are seemingly dropping from the race and the Red Sox are seizing their moment.
According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, the rumors that Boston made him an "aggressive" offer are true (subscription required). Buster Olney of ESPN was the only major source reporting the alleged offer for a few days and many Sox fans remained skeptical of the rumors until McCaffrey's confirmation.
There is still no report of the contract length or amount allegedly offered to Bregman, and whether or not an offer is "aggressive" is subjective. There's still some room for concern despite Boston's offer being out there — McCaffrey reported that last year the Red Sox were unwilling to go beyond a four-year deal for Bregman. Now, he's a year older with another injury in his medical history, and Boston remains skeptical of investing long-term in free agents over 30.
Bregman reportedly seeks a six-year deal and he'd be hard pressed to find any contender willing to meet that requirement. The Red Sox and Cubs are rumored to be some of the only teams still courting him, and neither has been inclined to cough up enough money for top tier free agents in recent years (subscription required).
Red Sox reportedly made 'aggressive' offer to Alex Bregman, but aggression is subjective
If any playoff contender offered Bregman the six-year contract he wants, he probably would've signed it by now. Both his free agency stints have drawn out too long to believe that a club is willing to meet his exact demands. A five year deal with the Red Sox, after his $40 million salary last year and in the throes of their competitive window, would hopefully get the job done with Bregman.
Boston was only willing to sign Bregman to a four-year deal before it saw his fit with the team and leadership skills firsthand. Its opinion on Bregman's worth may have changed over the last year, as it should — he's the best all-around third baseman on the market and the Sox's lineup needs the right-handed offense and top-tier defense he can provide. It will still be hard to get any team to commit to him until he's 38, however.
Hopefully, the Red Sox's offer to Bregman really is competitive, even if it isn't the exact amount he asked for. Bo Bichette is still on the market as a fallback option (and a great one, at that), but his younger age and elite bat will make him an even more expensive option. Bregman was a great fir with Boston in 2025, and that could continue with reasonable contract terms.