The Boston Red Sox's free agency pursuits haven't gone the way the front office hoped as of Dec. 10. Juan Soto signed the richest contract in sports history and the Yankees stole free agent pitcher Max Fried, the best available fit for the Red Sox.
After Boston whiffed on Soto, it was reported that the team quickly pivoted to prioritize Alex Bregman. However, it appears that the pivot hasn't gone as smoothly as it probably should.
Reports surfaced that the Red Sox front office is divided on whether or not it likes Bregman as a fit in Boston. Alex Cora and Sam Kennedy are in favor of signing the veteran third baseman, while Craig Breslow and other members of the baseball operations staff aren't as high on him.
Breslow's hesitancy to sign Bregman could be because pitching is far and away Boston's biggest deficiency. Bregman would be a righty bat, which the Sox need, but his production has declined in recent years. His OPS has decreased in the two years since he posted a .820 in 2022, and he doesn't walk as often as he did in his prime.
Red Sox front office faces an internal rift as it pursues veteran free agent Alex Bregman
Major Alex Bregman update from @Sean_McAdam: Red Sox are in but a divided camp when it comes to the pursuit. Cora and Kennedy want him, Breslow more hesitant. https://t.co/TenceEYkzi
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 10, 2024
Bregman also reportedly turned down a six-year, $156 million offer from the Astros. Reporters have suggested that the veteran targets a deal around the $200 million range. The jury is still out on the Red Sox's exact offer to Fried, but the Yankees signed him for $218 million, which is said to be "significantly ahead" of Boston's offer. If they wouldn't meet New York's offer for Fried, one of the best fits for the Sox in the free agent market, it's hard to believe they'd give a similar amount of money to Bregman, on whom they can't even agree is necessary for the team's improvement.
As if the Winter Meetings haven't been embarrassing enough for the Sox, the release of the front office's internal tiff could make matters worse. The Red Sox's management and baseball operations crew need to be on the same page about the team's biggest needs and how best to address them, and so far, this has not seemed to be the case.
Cora, Kennedy and Breslow need to reconcile their differences to get something done at the Winter Meetings. Any way you slice it, a second third baseman is not Boston's most critical need, even if they put him at second base. There is more at stake than potentially losing out on Bregman, such as the race to sign Corbin Burnes.
And, if the Red Sox leave the Winter Meetings with no one signed or traded for, they'll have even bigger problems.