MLB insider Ken Rosenthal wants to know what the heck the Boston Red Sox are doing in their pursuit of Alex Bregman.
On Friday, Rosenthal published a breakdown of the Bregman-to-Boston rumors and was critical of the team’s approach. The insider for The Athletic wrote that the team’s approach only made sense if it was “playing a game of chicken with agent Scott Boras.”
That strategy helped Boston land an All-Star DH in the form of J.D. Martinez on the cheap. But it could also open the door for other suitors to swoop in and steal a right-handed bat that Boston needs in its lineup badly.
Last month, MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported that the Red Sox were one of the top suitors for Bregman this offseason. However, McAdam also noted that there was internal disagreement over his long-term value.
Despite being one of MLB’s top-spending teams for ages, the Red Sox have taken criticism for uncharacteristic penny-pinching in recent years. Rosenthal said this cautious line of thinking regarding Bregman is the same approach that led to Boston trading away its biggest star in recent memory.
“Rather than act creatively and decisively, they’re adhering to the same type of rigid thinking that cost them, ahem, Mookie Betts,” Rosenthal wrote.
Despite the criticism, the Red Sox have made moves to improve their rotation this offseason, trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Walker Buehler. For his part, Buehler says he’s been pitching Bregman on coming to Boston as well.
Bregman, who turns 31 in March, has played all nine of his MLB season with the Houston Astros. The two-time All-Star is coming off a Gold Glove season. However, he’s been criticized for a decline in offensive production in recent seasons.
After posting an OPS of 1.015 in 2019, Bregman hasn’t posted an OPS above .820 in any of the last five seasons. Bregman’s ability to get on base plummeted last season, posting an on-base percentage of .315, his worst since his rookie season.
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