Coming off their first postseason appearance in four seasons, the Boston Red Sox have had an aggressive winter. They’ve added Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate deals with the St. Louis Cardinals.
While Boston has been active in the trade market this offseason, there’s one free agent they want to bring back. In a live stream for Bleacher Report, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that Alex Bregman is the Red Sox’s No. 1 target to strengthen their lineup. Heyman also listed the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Diamondbacks as teams pursuing Bregman.
Bregman, 31, agreed to a three-year deal with the Red Sox in February. In 114 games, he slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs. He missed two months with a right quad strain. In pursuit of a longer guarantee, he opted out of the final two years and $80 million.
Why the Red Sox Want to Bring Back Alex Bregman
The American League East has been active this offseason, adding pressure on the Red Sox to keep up. The Blue Jays and Orioles have been hyper-aggressive in free agency this season. Both clubs spent hundreds of millions of dollars to improve their rosters.
With the ante raised to win the division, Boston needs to add another big bat to their lineup. They’ve been linked to Ketel Marte and Brendan Donovan in the trade market, but not much has come of it. The Diamondbacks’ ask for Marte has been young starting pitching and a reliever, a price the Red Sox balked at. Arizona tried to get Connelly Early at the trade deadline for Merrill Kelly, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
With the exorbitant cost of a potential Marte deal, it makes more sense to try to re-sign Bregman. The Red Sox already are familiar with what he brings to the club, both on and off the field. The only cost to bring him back is in dollars, compared to the alternatives.
Bregman had a nice bounce-back in 2025, proving he’s still an impact player on a contender. His 128 OPS+ was his highest mark since 2022, and he’s still a solid defender at the hot corner. While not the same defender he was in Houston, where he won a Gold Glove in 2024, he was +1 defensive runs saved and +3 outs above average.
Boston already saw what life without Bregman was. While recovering from a right quad strain, top prospect Marcelo Mayer filled in at third base. Mayer struggled in his first cup of coffee with the Red Sox, slashing .228/.272/.404 in his first 136 plate appearances. In a hyper-competitive division, relying on Mayer could be a riskier bet than bringing back Bregman in 2026.
What Would It Take to Re-Sign Bregman
Heyman reported that Bregman is seeking a five-year deal in free agency. That would cover his Age 32-36 seasons. For the Red Sox, that is a risky proposition, as that contract is almost certain to go underwater for them in the back half. However, that extra year may be the cost of trying to keep up in a hyper-competitive division.
Of all the teams competing to land Bregman’s services, Arizona represents the biggest obstacle. Bregman lives in Scottsdale, where the Diamondbacks play their Spring Training games.
The opportunity to live there year-round and raise his family makes them an appealing destination to sign a long-term deal with. It’s the same selling point that convinced former Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez to sign a four-year deal with them two offseasons ago.
MLB Trade Rumors predicts Bregman to sign a six-year, $160 million contract. The median crowd source projection on FanGraphs has him getting a five-year, $155 million deal.
In the event the Red Sox fail to re-sign Bregman, they could pivot to a different bat or roll the dice with Mayer.
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