Losing Alex Bregman in free agency was bad enough. Now, Boston Red Sox fans have to suffer through loads of interviews in which Chicago Cubs players rave about the veteran leadership and knowledge that Bregman provides (and is no longer giving Boston).
Pete Crow-Armstrong's appearance on the "Foul Territory" podcast was the latest example. Speaking with Erik Kratz, Crow-Armstrong called Bregman an "advanced thinker" and detailed how Bregman is already teaching him things about plate discipline.
Crow-Armstrong, a rising superstar, will no doubt be an even better player with Bregman in his ear, and Red Sox fans will no doubt be reminded how furious they are that Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Boston's other young studs will no longer be beneficiaries of the Bregman Effect.
It feels like another appropriate time to ask, for the 100th time, how (and why!) did the Red Sox let Bregman slip through their fingers in free agency?
Red Sox fans are pained to see Alex Bregman adding immediate value to Cubs clubhouse
"He's such an advanced thinker, and it's freaky to me because I don't think I'm there yet."
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 25, 2026
Pete Crow-Armstrong details how much of a difference it makes to have Alex Bregman around. pic.twitter.com/jtwWDFczgc
Rumors of low-ball contract offers, called bluffs, and off-putting negotiations have only soured Red Sox fans more in the aftermath of losing Bregman. The same can be said of the Red Sox front office's feeble attempt to shift the blame to Bregman himself.
Moreover, Bregman's silence about the situation spoke volumes, almost as much as his subtle yet explosive Rafael Devers Instagram post that destroyed every Red Sox's fan's soul for a good 24 hours.
What gets lost in all of this is that Boston actually had a good offseason, especially since they improved their rotation and overall depth. But for a fanbase that is still haunted to this day by the loss of Mookie Betts, botched ordeals like Bregman's free agency cut particularly deep.
Boston fans are well aware that losing Bregman the leader was a bigger crime than losing Bregman the baseball player. That's why this Crow-Armstrong interview — and many more of a similar type to follow, assuredly — sound worse than nails on a chalkboard.
In the end, what's done is done, and let us not act like the Red Sox are without venerable veteran leaders to move forward with. Trevor "Unc" Story will be looked to as a guiding voice in 2026, and he'll surely deliver. Newcomer Willson Contreras will, too.
Bregman in a Cubs uniform will never feel good to look at for Red Sox fans, so they might as well just look away. There is plenty to look forward to in '26, and the best antidote to the pain of Bregxit will be to improve upon 2025's Wild Card exit.