Another key MLB free agent is finally off the board now that former Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has signed with the Boston Red Sox.
The deal, initially reported by Jon Heyman at the NY Post, is pretty straightforward: three years, $120 million. There are two opt-outs and some deferred money. Pretty par for the course, given Bregman’s long offseason.
Boston also won out over bigger offers from the Tigers and Cubs, so this is a coup of sorts for Fenway Sports Group.
Except here’s the catch. The Red Sox plan to stick Alex Bregman, a reigning Gold Glove third baseman, at second base. Yes, the man with a +26 career defensive runs saved (DRS) at third along with +22 outs above average (OAA) is being asked to move positions.
It makes sense from a roster standpoint. Rafael Devers is barely into a 10-year, $313.5 million deal and has third base locked down. He’s mashed 200 home runs with a 125 career wRC+ since debuting in 2017. Devers is also something of a Yankee killer, batting .273 with 28 homers against Boston’s heated rival Bronx Bombers.
He also has a -62 DRS at third base and a slightly less ugly -29 OAA.
Moreover, what happens to Trevor Story and the three albatross years left on his $140 million deal? No. 3 prospect Kristian Campbell hit .330 with 20 home runs and a .996 OPS across three minor league levels last year, and in the minors he’ll stay in the meantime.
None of this is to say that moving Alex Bregman to second base is the worst idea in the world. After all, it’s only been six seasons since he played the position. Forget his whopping 32 career innings at second, the DRS and OAA are each +1 and, wait for it, zero!
Inevitable three-dimensional fielding chess aside (And maybe with a Masataka Yoshida trade mixed in), Bregman is a good fit for Boston. He’s a right-handed pull hitter who will thrive with Fenway Park’s Green Monster. Perhaps even more than he did with Minute Maid Park’s Crawford Boxes.
Is $40 million a year an overpay? It sure is, but the opt-outs could cushion that financial blow.
The greater concern, rather, is what signing Alex Bregman means for the Red Sox not so much on the field, but up top. Rumors swirled all offseason regarding an alleged divide between manager Alex Cora and general manager Craig Breslow. One wanted to pay big for Bregman, the other didn’t.
So which Alex Bregman will Boston get in 2025? Will his bat mesh well with the Monster and keep Boston in the playoff race? Or will his OPS dip for the fourth straight year and make him just another overpay?
Spring training is here, so we’ll soon find out.
FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: Boston Red Sox solve 2B hole with…Alex Bregman? | Elite Sports NY