Last offseason, Alex Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. A few months later, he’s going to test the market again.
Bregman is expected to opt out of his Red Sox deal after just one season, per multiple reports. The 31-year-old reportedly is planning leave the team despite still having two years and $80 million left on his current deal.
It was a bounce-back year for Bregman, who hit .273/.360/.462, with 18 home runs, in his first season in Boston. After a blistering first half, in which he hit .298/.380/.546, Bregman made the All-Star team for the first time in six seasons. His second half wasn’t as strong. Bregman hit just .250/.341/.386 over the final 61 games for the Red Sox.
Despite his late slump, Bregman will enter free agency in much better shape compared to last winter, when he was coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. Bregman hit just .260/.315/.453 in 2024. His normally excellent walk rate cratered and his strikeout rate, while still strong, jumped. Given his age, and the fact that he played nine seasons in an advantageous park in Houston, there was concern Bregman was already in the decline phase of his career.
Because of that, Bregman remained on the market until February, when he finally signed his deal with the Red Sox. The move was not without controversy, as the Red Sox signed Bregman despite the presence of Rafael Devers. After some public posturing, the Red Sox were able to get Devers to move to designated hitter so Bregman could play third base. But Devers’ relationship with the team continued to crumble during the season, eventually leading to him being traded to the San Francisco Giants in June.
After entering the 2025 season with two All-Star-caliber third basemen, the Red Sox will begin this offseason with zero.
Bregman’s plan to opt out signals the veteran believes he can earn more than the two years and $80 left on his current deal. After his excellent first half, that’s probably a smart bet. Bregman will almost certainly secure a longer deal on the market this time around. While his annual average salary may wind up being lower, he’ll almost certainly receive more years and more money on his next contract.
Given their clear need, the Red Sox will likely be involved in the bidding. Bregman played a major role in the team winning 89 games and making the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
But Boston should have plenty of competition for Bregman’s services. While his second half was alarming, Bregman proved he still has plenty in the tank during the first half of the season. His power could decline in a less favorable ballpark, but Bregman has the plate discipline and defensive prowess to remain an effective player into his mid-30s, which is where his next deal should take him.
Read the full article here