Red Sox fans will believe this Bo Bichette update when they see it

In the wake of the Boston Red Sox's Alex Bregman loss, fans are not optimistic that the team will make the key offensive addition it needs to be competitive in the American League East. Even the latest Bo Bichette rumors haven't helped matters.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale on January 13 reported that the Red Sox are expected to "aggressively" pursue Bichette after losing out on Bregman. The Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers also remain in the race for his services.

The word "aggressive," in reference to a free agent pursuit, doesn't mean much to Boston fans anymore. Bregman was reportedly its No. 1 priority after its many pitching additions at the beginning of the offseason, but it refused to even match the Chicago Cubs' offer, which included a no-trade clause, and remained brazenly confident in their number despite their knowledge of other teams in his market (subscription required).

Red Sox's presence in Bo Bichette market is laughable given their competition and his asking price

Bichette's asking price has been reported to be $300 million in recent weeks, but given how long he's been on the market, he's not likely to get that amount. He's also a poor defender and many of the teams interested in him would probably move him off shortstop, which would lower his price.

The Phillies are reportedly the top contender for Bichette, with both sides showing "strong interest" in each other, according to Nightengale. Former Red Sox chief baseball officer Dave Dombrowski — who built their franchise-winningest, World Series champion 2018 squad — is famous for going all-in on the players he likes, and if he's locked in on Bichette there may be nothing any other club can do to get in his way. Boston surely won't try that hard, especially since the other teams in the market are the Jays and Dodgers, two of the richest teams in the league.

Bichette would be a great addition to the Sox's offense, as he's one of the best pure hitters on the free agent market this year, but the Red Sox won't get anywhere close to meeting his asking price if it's truly $300 million. Rafael Devers' $313.5 million contract was the largest in the organization's history and it went out of its way to unload he and his money with no backup plan — there's no chance Boston commits to another contract near that size any time soon, even if it would save its offseason.

Bichette is an elite hitter and he would make the Red Sox's offense better, but his asking price and the competition in his market make him an impossible target for Boston unless every single thing about its behavior on the free agent market from the last half decade has changed since it lost out on Bregman.