It has been a quiet offseason for the Boston Red Sox. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has watched as some of the top free agents sign with other clubs. It feels like it’s going to be another offseason where the Red Sox are “in” on a lot of free agents, but come up short.
The biggest free agent loss they suffered so far was Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles. He was the one bat they were targeting, and they lost him to a division rival. It feels like Boston is putting everything into an Alex Bregman reunion. It very well may happen, but another American League East division team is reportedly entering the mix.
Blue Jays Reportedly Entering the Mix For Alex Bregman
As if the Red Sox needed more competition for Bregman. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Toronto Blue Jays have entered the mix for Bregman.
“Team officials have been in recent contact with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, according to sources briefed on the conversations. Ideally, the Jays want to add a left-handed hitter, but either the right-handed Bregman or Bichette would fit their defensive alignment better than Tucker or Cody Bellinger, both of whom bat left,” wrote Rosenthal.
Of course, Rosenthal is talking about Kyle Tucker along with Bellinger. This is turning into an offseason where the Blue Jays are spending like the top clubs around the league. They have already signed San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, while being in on other big-name free agents.
Toronto still has Bo Bichette as a free agent. They won’t be able to sign both Bregman and Bichette, but signing Bregman keeps him at third base. Jesse Rogers of ESPN recently predicted Bregman to get a five-year, $170 million contract.
“Bregman almost certainly would stay at third for the Jays, who then would play Ernie Clement at second and Addison Barger in right, with George Springer and Anthony Santander also manning the outfield and serving as DHs. If the Jays signed Bichette to play second, a position he filled for the first time in the World Series, the only difference is that Clement would remain at third,” wrote Rosenthal.
The options would be endless for Blue Jays manager John Schneider if they signed Bregman. Putting him in that lineup would make it that much more potent.
Red Sox Must Re-Sign Alex Bregman
This is shaping up to be a “Bregman or bust” offseason for the Red Sox. If that ends up being the case, then it would feel like a lost off-season. Running it back with nearly the same lineup in a division that got better, aside from maybe the Tampa Bay Rays, isn’t a recipe for success in 2026.
Even more, losing Bregman to Toronto would be a bigger hit than Baltimore getting Alonso over the Red Sox. The team to beat in the AL East would be getting even tougher. Losing Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, or Detroit Tigers is one thing. Losing him to the Blue Jays is a whole different animal.
There has to be some type of move coming from Breslow. However, losing Bregman feels like it is becoming a possibility each day as more teams enter the picture. Now, it’s reportedly the Blue Jays.
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