Why Alex Bregman Deal Makes Red Sox Big-Time Winners Of MLB Offseason

The Boston Red Sox were only 24 hours into spring training camp when the front office completed a much-anticipated roster addition and signed free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman late Wednesday night.

Bregman agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. The contract includes two opt-out options and it adds the long-awaited finishing touch that Boston has pursued since last season’s MLB trade deadline: a right-handed bat.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow explored the trade market up until the closing hours of the 2024 deadline, but catcher Danny Jansen was all the franchise landed. This time, Breslow and the front office delivered a game-changing presence. Bregman’s career-long nine-year stint with the Houston Astros showcased everything Boston needs to get back on track following three consecutive postseason misses.

It’ll go down as a signing that isn’t as blockbuster as Juan Soto but will impact the Red Sox immensely, especially this upcoming season. Therefore, even though it didn’t require a $750 million contract slide across the negotiation table, Boston’s latest move is the move that transformed its offseason.

Bregman became a two-time World Series champion with the Astros, first alongside then-bench coach Alex Cora in 2017. Cora, now manager of the Red Sox, maintained his relationship with Bregman ever since their title capture in Houston, and are now reunited in the American League East. Having a veteran with Bregman’s level of success and experience is valuable in itself, but the rapport with Cora makes it even better.

“Alex is a good player, man,” Cora said during December’s winter meetings when asked about Bregman, per ESPN. “He’s a complete player. He’s a player that’s been on winning teams, right, his whole career. Good defender. Offensively, he’s really good. He’s a guy that a lot of people are talking about, and I do believe he can impact a big league team, a championship-caliber team. He’s that type of player.”

Bregman has earned a reputation as a lead-by-example type of big leaguer. He slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs across 145 appearances and took home his first-career Gold Glove Award for logging a .972 fielding percentage. That’s the immediate value, even without swinging the bat, that the Red Sox needed.

Boston committed 115 errors last season, which led all AL teams, and was (barely) second to the MLB-worst Miami Marlis (117).

It’s unknown where Cora will play Bregman since Rafael Devers is originally slated to be the starting third baseman, however, Bregman’s versatility alleviates those concerns. Bregman, although a third baseman for 995 of his 1,135 total career games, has also played second base (nine games), shortstop (12 games) and the outfield — twice.

The Red Sox could plug Bregman in at second base, which removes pressure from prospect Kristan Campbell to breakout in 2025 and adds a veteran voice who’s walked the walk for nearly a decade in the big leagues. Fellow prospects including Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer could also listen and pay close attention to Bregman for the next three years as they make their respective long-awaited leaps to Boston.

Making the move from Triple-A Worcester to Fenway Park is a goliath-sized challenge to conquer, but having a proven winner like Bregman adds a significant element. Bregman can show the Red Sox stars of tomorrow the ropes on the field and behind the scenes.

Most importantly, Bregman’s addition to the lineup seals the deal: the Red Sox are ready legitimately to compete for a division crown again.

Boston addressed its pitching dilemma already by adding Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman to the bullpen, along with welcoming Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval to the starting rotation. So just when it seemed as though pitching was the only area of improvement the front office repaired, Bregman’s arrival uplifted the franchise from questionable territory to the contention circle.

Last season, the Red Sox finished 81-81 and slipped out of the AL wild-card race.

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