Despite a significant absence due to a quad injury, most would agree that Alex Bregman's tenure with the Boston Red Sox thus far has been a success.
When on the field, Bregman's offensive production has come at a rate that we haven't seen from him since 2019, and he has been lauded for his leadership in the Red Sox clubhouse. While $40 million a year is steep for him, that is the price one must pay to sign stars and there is a real chance that the Red Sox may want to keep him around beyond 2025.
The problem with that plan is that Bregman can (and likely will) opt out of his contract after the season and current reports are that Boston has yet to engage in extension talks with Bregman. With the most recent predictions being that Bregman could end up with a six year, $200 million deal, the Red Sox are going to have to come up with some cash to keep him around AND address other holes on their roster.
Fortunately, they have a few players they could afford to trade away to help make that happen.
Here are the players the Red Sox should trade in order to afford to keep Alex Bregman
If we are being honest here, owner John Henry and the Red Sox could easily afford to keep Bregman around and sign other impact players without trading guys away. However, this is the Red Sox we are talking about and everything from the last several years suggests they won't spend more than they want unless they absolutely have to. With that in mind, here are a few of the players that could be on the trading block if Boston decides they want to get serious about bringing Bregman back.
Patrick Sandoval
While the Red Sox need more starting pitching, it doesn't seem like Sandoval can be counted on anyways given his setback during rehab from Tommy John surgery a few weeks ago. Boston likely wants to add an impact rotation arm (Joe Ryan, please) this coming offseason and if the Red Sox can find a taker for Sandoval, it would free up $12.75 million in 2026 payroll to help get deals done elsewhere which includes Bregman.
Jordan Hicks
With Hicks no longer realistically a starting option, the $12.5 million a year he is making in 2026 and 2027 is already a cost the team should be looking to trim. Hicks has not pitched well at all this season and with his track record of command issues, finding a team that wants to bet on the flamethrower and using the savings to make a competitive offer for Bregman seems like the play.
Masataka Yoshida
This is not a knock on Yoshida as he has been better than many fans (and probably the Red Sox) give him credit for. However, Boston has a roster crunch even if they let Bregman walk, the team clearly does not want Yoshida in the field. Trading Yoshida away to a team that would actually appreciate and use his talents would free up $18.6 million a year through 2027 and could be the difference between being able to sign Bregman and not.