To the Boston Red Sox and probably to the Houston Astros two offseasons ago, losing Alex Bregman means more than just losing their third baseman. In the Red Sox's case, they've lost their only third base option after the Rafael Devers trade, they've lost a rare righty hitter in their lineup and a mentor to their top young players.
Boston lauded Bregman as something of a second manager on the field and in the dugout. He's a 10-year MLB veteran, two-time World Series champion, three-time All-Star and an excellent example of how baseball should be played. With the Sox, he took seriously his role as a veteran and advised the young players throughout their struggles at the plate, and he even bought suits for the former "Big Three" prospects, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer.
Anthony only appeared in 71 big league games during his rookie season, but he clearly grew close to Bregman in that time. Hours after the veteran signed with the Chicago Cubs, Anthony posted a tribute picture of them facing the Green Monster in the Fenway Green City Connects, captioned with a handshake and heart emoji.
Hours before Anthony's post and before Bregman officially left the Red Sox organization, the young outfielder sang Bregman's praises at Fenway Fest. Clearly, Boston was banking on having him back for another season.
Roman Anthony's Instagram tribute to Alex Bregman has Red Sox fans emotional
"I love Breggy. He was a huge part of my success. And a lot of the young guys — and not only the young guys but many of the guys in the clubhouse — I think we're all on the same page as to where we stand with him and what we hope happens," Anthony said (via Gabrielle Starr of The Boston Herald).
Anthony's fellow outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela went on a tear in July just before the All-Star break and it felt like he couldn't miss the ball at the plate or at the outfield. He also credited Bregman for helping with some of his successes.
“Bregman helped me a lot this year. He's been a huge part of what I’m doing right now. He’s probably 90%,” Rafaela said, also via Starr.
Red Sox fans and players have taken the news of Bregman's departure hard, and he hasn't helped matters. He was shown on the jumbotron a Chicago Blackhawks game on January 12, which rubbed more salt in Boston's wounds.
But the Red Sox have no one to be salty at but themselves. After seeing Boston trade away its franchise third baseman to accommodate him, it had the nerve to offer him less money without the full no-trade clause he got from the Cubs — the Red Sox will never win another free agent with that approach, not even one who'd already grown close to all their players and fit in so well with the city.