There's been no shortage of rumors surrounding the Boston Red Sox's pursuit of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
An established star who can hit for power and defend and who has extensive playoff experience, Bregman seems like a natural choice to fill in at third if the Red Sox decide to move Rafael Devers to first base or designated hitter. Not only that, but he's a right-handed hitter who would fit well into a lineup that sorely lacks production from that side of the plate.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the Red Sox aren't that serious about pursuing Bregman. The latest news suggests that the Sox are unwilling to give Bregman anything more than four years in a potential contract.
If this is true, the Sox are probably out of this race, since the Astros have already offered him a six-year, $156 million deal. The veteran also reportedly seeks upward of $200 million for his next contract, so unless Boston is willing to give him $50 million a year, this might spell the end of their pursuit.
Latest update in Red Sox's pursuit of Alex Bregman shows they aren't really trying
The Red Sox sit $32 million below the first CBT threshold of $241 million. Will they spend it on Nolan Arenado? Alex Bregman? Someone else? Or no one? https://t.co/j4bkvVn24z
— masslivesports (@masslivesports) January 27, 2025
Bregman, of course, isn't a silver bullet. He's never been able to truly recapture his magic from 2018-19, and his walk rate was way down last year — he usually ranks among league leaders in free passes. He could also potentially block the path of prospects Kristian Campbell or Marcelo Mayer to big league playing time, and he'd be a much more expensive option than either of those two.
On the other hand, five to six years for Bregman isn't crazy, as the Red Sox would be paying him into his 40s. Because he's a right-handed power bat and his history of offensive success at Fenway Park, he makes some sense for this lineup, and he'd definitely improve this team's outlook for the next few years. The Red Sox already feel like they're ready to compete thanks to their pitching additions and their three top-ranked prospects set to debut soon, and adding Bregman would only cement that.
Paying Bregman isn't a slam dunk, but if the Sox want to behave like a big-market team, they would at least be more willing to take a chance on him. However, it doesn't look like that's the case, so don't hold your breath on Bregman being in Boston come March 27th.