The Boston Red Sox were just 24 hours into spring training camp when the front office made a much-anticipated roster move, allegedly signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman late Wednesday night.
Bregman has agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. The contract includes two opt-out clauses and adds the much-needed final touch that Boston has sought since last season’s MLB trade deadline: a right-handed bat.
Craig Breslow, the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer, investigated the trade market until the final hours of the 2024 deadline, but the organization only acquired catcher Danny Jansen and two bullpen supplements. This time, Breslow and the front office provided a game-changing presence. Bregman’s nine-year tenure with the Houston Astros exemplified everything Boston needs to get back on track after missing the playoffs three straight years.
It will be remembered as a signing that, while not as big as Juan Soto’s, will have a significant impact on the Red Sox, particularly this season. As a result, even though a $750 million contract was not required, Boston’s most recent acquisition has changed its offseason.
Bregman won two World Series championships with the Astros, the first with then-bench coach Alex Cora in 2017. Cora, the Red Sox manager, has maintained a relationship with Bregman since their title-winning season in Houston, and the two are now reunited in the AL East. Having a veteran with Bregman’s level of success and expertise is valuable in and of itself, but his rapport with Cora enhances it even further.
“Alex is a good player, man,” Cora remarked when asked about Bregman at the winter meetings in December, according to ESPN. “He is a complete player. He’s been on winning teams his entire career. Good defender. He’s an excellent offensive player. He’s a guy that a lot of people are talking about, and I feel he has the potential to help a big league team win a championship. “He’s that type of player.”
Bregman has established himself as a big league leader who sets a good example. He hit.260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs in 145 games and earned his first Gold Glove Award for a.972 fielding percentage. That is the immediate value the Red Sox required, even without swinging a bat.
Last season, Boston made 115 mistakes, leading all AL teams and finishing (just) second to the MLB-worst Miami Marlins (117).
It’s unclear where Cora will play Bregman because Rafael Devers was originally supposed to be the starting third baseman, but Bregman’s versatility alleviates those concerns. Bregman has spent 995 of his 1,135 career games at third base, but he has also played second base (nine games), shortstop (12 games), and outfield twice.
The Red Sox may move Bregman to second base, relieving pressure on youngster Kristan Campbell to break out in 2025 and adding an experienced voice with nearly a decade of major league experience. Fellow hopefuls Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer may also listen and pay close heed to Bregman over the next three years as they make their long-awaited moves to Boston.
Making the transition from Triple-A Worcester to Fenway Park is a daunting task, but having a proven winner like Bregman offers a significant advantage. Bregman can show the Red Sox’s future stars the ropes both on and off the field.
Most significantly, Bregman’s arrival to the lineup seals the deal: the Red Sox are truly poised to compete for a division championship again.
Boston has already addressed its pitching issues by adding Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman to the bullpen, as well as Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Patrick Sandoval to the starting rotation. So, just when it appeared like pitching was the only area in which the front management had made improvements, Bregman’s arrival propelled the organization from doubtful territory to contention.
