Like the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox are looking to bring back a high-profile player who was just added a year ago.
Third baseman Alex Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with Boston in February, but, as expected, he opted-out at the start of the offseason. According to Passan, the Red Sox would like to have him back but will face stiff competition on the open market.
“The Red Sox love Bregman, who opted out of the final two years and $80 million of his contract, and won’t close the door on a reunion despite having Marcelo Mayer ready to play third. Detroit and Chicago, which pursued him last winter but came up short, will rejoin the fray, with Philadelphia lurking as it juggles multiple potential paths.”
Boston does have alternative options, including Mayer. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi believes that Pete Alonso could be Plan 1A if Bregman isn’t re-signed:
With Bregman set to command a massive salary, there would be some logic in letting Mayer take over third while chasing another star free agent. As Hall of Famer David Ortiz noted, though, the value of Bregman’s leadership can’t be overlooked.
“I love Alex, man. I think he’s a great player. He’s got really incredible leadership. One thing I love about him, he’s a team player,” Ortiz said on the ITM Podcast (h/t Aaliyan Mohammed of NESN).
Prediction: Boston re-signs Bregman.