The Boston Red Sox's signing of Alex Bregman may have been expensive and created some confounding ripple effects around the roster, but the two-time World Series champion has been more than worth it so far.
Bregman is off to the best start of his 10-year career. The third baseman batted .328/.401/.584 with a .985 OPS with 11 doubles, seven homers and 24 RBI through 31 games in March and April. To put that in perspective, his career slash line in March and April is .261/.363/.414 over 207 appearances. He's raised his OPS to 1.013 through 37 games.
The Red Sox signed Bregman to be the right-handed power bat that stabilized their left-handed-dominant batting order and to bring consistent, high-level defense to third base. His defense has left something to be desired, with a team-leading five errors in the early goings, but his bat has been everything Boston needed and more.
Bregman's free agent market was small, with three or four top suitors for his services, including the Blue Jays and American League Central-leading Tigers. But he inked a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox, with opt-outs after each season, to begin the next phase of his career, which he's started with a "bang."
Bregman sought a five-to-six-year deal when his free agency began, but Boston outspent anyone willing to give him his desired contract length. Will he use his opt-out at the end of his first season with the Red Sox?
Could Alex Bregman's hot start inspire him to opt out of Red Sox contract after 2025?
Bregman's fate with Boston could depend on how well it performs down the stretch. If the Red Sox make a deep postseason run, he may be more willing to stick out the rest of his contract to see if he can add another World Series ring to his collection. With Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer on their way to the big leagues sooner rather than later, Boston is only expected to improve in the coming years.
The third baseman has also posted excellent offensive numbers at Fenway Park throughout his career, and spending multiple seasons there will look great on his stat sheet. Bregman has posted a .344/.454/.682 slash line with a 1.136 OPS through 40 appearances at Fenway, and three years in Boston could keep him among MLB's elite hitters well into his 30s.
Conversely, Bregman could post such a good offensive season that he takes his talents to the free agent market again to seek the longer deal he initially hoped for. His contract with the Red Sox contains deferred money, but evens out to $40 million in average annual value, which other, smaller-market teams may not be able to match — $120 million is a pretty penny for three seasons of work, even among some of MLB's richest teams.
It's still early, but it's hard to imagine Bregman opting out of his Red Sox contract after just one year, especially if they make the playoffs. But if he posts the best year of his career — and he may already be well on his way there — anything could happen.