Red Sox Among Front-Runners To Sign Third Baseman Alex Bregman

[moonslav59]

33 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Up to this point I don’t think the Red Sox are as concerned about what everyone knows that the D isn’t good to do anything about it. In fact with the likes of Franchy Strangeglove at 1B, Arroyo in RF, and Kike staying at SS a lot longer than he should have it looks like the opposite of trying to fix the D. When is the last time the Red Sox had a good veteran glove man ready as a backup for the IF?

That also fits with the idea of Dr Stangeglove Yoshida playing LF, right?

[Old Red]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

That also fits with the idea of Dr Stangeglove Yoshida playing LF, right?

It would except for the FACT there are many options for the OF to keep Yoshida from playing out there compared to Franchy playing 1B as the RED Sox didn’t see any other option at the time. Arroyo tried, but got hurt the first time he tried to stretch.  I thinks there is a snow ball’s chance in hell that Yoshida is part of any OF platoon.🙈🤭

[moonslav59]

27 minutes ago, Old Red said:

It would except for the FACT there are many options for the OF to keep Yoshida from playing out there compared to Franchy playing 1B as the RED Sox didn’t see any other option at the time. Arroyo tried, but got hurt the first time he tried to stretch.  I thinks there is a snow ball’s chance in hell that Yoshida is part of any OF platoon.🙈🤭

Yes, we know your position well. We also know that Cora & Brez have changed his language on Yoshida playing in LF and even about moving Devers to 1B. It's not ideal, and neither is keeping our corner IF D as is.

We also have Campbell and Anthony who could crash the party. Much can change, as the season unfolds, not even counting injuries.

I doubt we add Bregman or Arenado, so none of this would happen, anyway. There is a chance that one of two from Grissom/DHam/Romy show they can handle 2B in a plus way, which could force Campbell to 3B, but I'm not counting on that, either. Story staying healthy seems like a very long shot, but that coudl also force Mayer to 3B (or Story to 2B and Campbell to 3B.)

Last year, we saw O'Neill play LF 70 times, Ref 46 times and others 10 times. We also saw O'Neill and Ref play RF in 87 games. O'neill is gone. If and until Anthony arrives, our OF is not as crowded as it was, last year.

OF Games Played (GS)

160 Duran (160)

130 Abreu (110) as a platoon

95 O'Neill (90) missed time w injury

87 Rafaela (72) forced to play SS & 2B

76 Refsnyder (51) mostly as a platoon in RF/LF

15 Others (3) Romy, Dalbec, Wong, Yoshida, EValdez, Westbrook 

[mvp 78]

From MLB Trade Rumors today:

2. Bregman headed home?

Longtime Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was the talk of baseball over the weekend. Late last week, reports began to percolate that the Astros and Bregman had reengaged despite Houston’s acquisitions of Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes to handle the infield corners seemingly signaling a split. The Astros held their annual FanFest over the weekend and, while comments from GM Dana Brown described a Bregman reunion as a “longshot,” franchise face Jose Altuve emphasized the importance of Bregman to the team and made clear he would be willing to move to the outfield if it meant bringing Bregman back into the fold. Will a deal reach the finish line soon, or could another suitor for Bregman like the Tigers or Blue Jays swoop in and get something done instead?

Red Sox don't even get a mention anymore!

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

From MLB Trade Rumors today:

2. Bregman headed home?

Longtime Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was the talk of baseball over the weekend. Late last week, reports began to percolate that the Astros and Bregman had reengaged despite Houston’s acquisitions of Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes to handle the infield corners seemingly signaling a split. The Astros held their annual FanFest over the weekend and, while comments from GM Dana Brown described a Bregman reunion as a “longshot,” franchise face Jose Altuve emphasized the importance of Bregman to the team and made clear he would be willing to move to the outfield if it meant bringing Bregman back into the fold. Will a deal reach the finish line soon, or could another suitor for Bregman like the Tigers or Blue Jays swoop in and get something done instead?

Red Sox don't even get a mention anymore!

Seems like people are catching onto our non-seriousness!

[mvp 78]

In the most recent Bregman developments, KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported yesterday that Bregman had received at least three offers of five or more years over the course of the offseason, though it isn’t known which teams made those offers or if they’re still on the table.

Yup, he ain't coming here if our offer is only 4 years and opt outs. 

[Nick]

52 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Seems like people are catching onto our non-seriousness!

Unfortunately you're right.

I hate that our management has no imagination.

I KNOW that he wants a long term deal. I don't believe we should give him 5/6 year deal with what we have coming up.

This is when you become bold and tell Boras, come to Fenway for 1 year and hit 40HR and re-establish higher value. Here take $30-$35M on a one year deal.

The fact that they are unwilling to take any financial risk at this time (even just for one year deal) tells me that they are cheap and just wants to play the youngsters. That's fine if you are consistently in the playoffs but we're not.

 

 

 

[mvp 78]

20 minutes ago, Nick said:

Unfortunately you're right.

I hate that our management has no imagination.

I KNOW that he wants a long term deal. I don't believe we should give him 5/6 year deal with what we have coming up.

This is when you become bold and tell Boras, come to Fenway for 1 year and hit 40HR and re-establish higher value. Here take $30-$35M on a one year deal.

The fact that they are unwilling to take any financial risk at this time (even just for one year deal) tells me that they are cheap and just wants to play the youngsters. That's fine if you are consistently in the playoffs but we're not.

And if he comes here and gets injured or just hits the way he did last season? He'll be out millions upon millions of dollars.

[Nick]

34 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

And if he comes here and gets injured or just hits the way he did last season? He'll be out millions upon millions of dollars.

So what? $30-$35M is just sitting there. So you're now afraid of INJURY? And what if he hits what he did last year? You never gamble on someone's upside? Especially a right handed pull hitter that will play 81 games in Fenway.

The topic was more in line of what to do with $40M in unspent luxury tax payroll. A one year deal seems perfect. Do you think somehow you're get a cut of unspent money? LOL

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, Nick said:

So what? $30-$35M is just sitting there. So you're now afraid of INJURY? And what if he hits what he did last year? You never gamble on someone's upside? Especially a right handed pull hitter that will play 81 games in Fenway.

The topic was more in line of what to do with $40M in unspent luxury tax payroll. A one year deal seems perfect. Do you think somehow you're get a cut of unspent money? LOL

The discussion was "why would Bregman rather a confirmed long term 5/6 year deal over a short term 1 year deal." 

Appreciate the ad hominem out of nowhere though! 

[drewski6]

23 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Seems like people are catching onto our non-seriousness!

We seriously considered making him an offer

[drewski6]

22 hours ago, Nick said:

Unfortunately you're right.

I hate that our management has no imagination.

I KNOW that he wants a long term deal. I don't believe we should give him 5/6 year deal with what we have coming up.

This is when you become bold and tell Boras, come to Fenway for 1 year and hit 40HR and re-establish higher value. Here take $30-$35M on a one year deal.

The fact that they are unwilling to take any financial risk at this time (even just for one year deal) tells me that they are cheap and just wants to play the youngsters. That's fine if you are consistently in the playoffs but we're not.

 

 

 

I dont think hed take 30-35 1 yr deal. If you want the sox to be serious, you need to give term (not always, but more often than not we're losing guys for the length we are unwilling to go).

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

I dont think hed take 30-35 1 yr deal. If you want the sox to be serious, you need to give term (not always, but more often than not we're losing guys for the length we are unwilling to go).

As a player gets into his 30's, I believe they are more likely to go with long term security over a short term payday like a 30M 1 year proposal. Bregman/Boras is waiting out the market and hoping that another team comes into to beat the Astros offer. It'll be brutal if the Astros pull their offer and he has to take less. 

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

As a player gets into his 30's, I believe they are more likely to go with long term security over a short term payday like a 30M 1 year proposal. Bregman/Boras is waiting out the market and hoping that another team comes into to beat the Astros offer. It'll be brutal if the Astros pull their offer and he has to take less. 

I agree.  Not thinking of any posters/fans in mind, but even some of my personal friends....Its like 1) Why dont the sox spend money! How did they let themselves get and remain so mediocre this 1/2 decade ..... and then 2) (After every FA signing, league wide) What an overpay!

You cant have it both ways. Again, not directed at anybody here.

Unless Bregman has all offers of 5yrs+ pulled, he isnt taking a shorter one.

I agree at this point, we are long shots at best for him, and Ive made my peace with that.

He was always a plan C behind Soto and Teoscar.

[drewski6]

Most of us would want Bregman at 3yrs / 75M.  Most of us would want him at 2 yrs / 60M.  But hes just not at the point where he is willing to accept a short term deal, and I dont think he will get there (I think he'll find a 5 yr deal).  If the 5 yr offers get pulled and he overplays his hand and he has to retreat to a short term contract, then of course, we'll be interested.

But it really doesnt make sense for him to take a 1 yr deal. Everyone knows he can still play at a high level, so I think he has more to lose than to gain to kick the can down the road 1 yr, and see whats available 1 yr from now when hes 1 yr older (coming off a 1 yr deal, even if he's 5 WAR in that year)

[mvp 78]

52 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Its like 1) Why dont the sox spend money! How did they let themselves get and remain so mediocre this 1/2 decade ..... and then 2) (After every FA signing, league wide) What an overpay!

You cant have it both ways. 

Agreed. A lot of people just find a reason to complain either way. The Sox are in a bit of a mess of their own making, but simply loading up on one particular FA class won't fix the situation. To me, FA success rate is about 50% so there's a good chance most deals you sign just won't work out.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Agreed. A lot of people just find a reason to complain either way. The Sox are in a bit of a mess of their own making, but simply loading up on one particular FA class won't fix the situation. To me, FA success rate is about 50% so there's a good chance most deals you sign just won't work out.

It hasn't helped that our largest FA deals have not even hit the 50% success rate since at least the Nate signing. ($8M/4 '19).

$140M/6 Story '22

$90M/5 Yoshida (plus posting fee) '23

$38.5M/2 Giolito '24

Our extensions:

$313/10 Devers

$145M/5 Sale '20

$120/6 Bogey '20 (opt out after $60M/3)

(and the lower deal of $19M/2 for Barnes)

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Agreed. A lot of people just find a reason to complain either way. The Sox are in a bit of a mess of their own making, but simply loading up on one particular FA class won't fix the situation. To me, FA success rate is about 50% so there's a good chance most deals you sign just won't work out.

That sounds about right -- to chumps like me. But what about the pro fessionals in the front office?

What do you think the odds are -- that they give themselves -- when they sign free agents every freaking winter who are damaged goods?

Here, Paxton, here's millions of dollars to rehab for an entire season, then finally return to the mound the next year -- pitch one great month, then not get traded at peak value at the deadline, before breaking down again for the stretch walk -- and then the season after that, when you pitch for someone else and beat us, we'll trade them a prospect to get you back in Boston, where you can instantly get re-injured and never throw again. 

[moonslav59]

16 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

That sounds about right -- to chumps like me. But what about the pro fessionals in the front office?

What do you think the odds are -- that they give themselves -- when they sign free agents every freaking winter who are damaged goods?

Here, Paxton, here's millions of dollars to rehab for an entire season, then finally return to the mound the next year -- pitch one great month, then not get traded at peak value at the deadline, before breaking down again for the stretch walk -- and then the season after that, when you pitch for someone else and beat us, we'll trade them a prospect to get you back in Boston, where you can instantly get re-injured and never throw again. 

The pattern of signing pitchers we know will start the season on the IL is ongoing: Paxton> Hendriks>Sandoval.

So is the pattern of signing "healthy" pitchers who used to be good to great, missed extended time with injuries and are now supposed to regain past glory: Richards> Wacha/Hill> Kluber> Buehler.

We even tried to start a new club: pitchers with hardly any injury past who immediately get hurt when they pitch for us or just think about pitching for us: Giolito, I Campbell and I hate to go to far back, but Thornburg rings a bell.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

33 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The pattern of signing pitchers we know will start the season on the IL is ongoing: Paxton> Hendriks>Sandoval.

So is the pattern of signing "healthy" pitchers who used to be good to great, missed extended time with injuries and are now supposed to regain past glory: Richards> Wacha/Hill> Kluber> Buehler.

We even tried to start a new club: pitchers with hardly any injury past who immediately get hurt when they pitch for us or just think about pitching for us: Giolito, I Campbell and I hate to go to far back, but Thornburg rings a bell.

Pretty good list.

I was going to suggest another subset: pitchers we signed when they were actually good. But all I could think of was Eovaldi... who, yes, broke down a bit after he signed, but was still good when he pitched.

Lackey? Price? Sale when he signed an extension? The first two were decent before but only for a short time after they signed in Boston. Mostly, they were broken in body or spirit.

Sale was a great Red Sock until he signed here...

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Pretty good list.

I was going to suggest another subset: pitchers we signed when they were actually good. But all I could think of was Eovaldi... who, yes, broke down a bit after he signed, but was still good when he pitched.

Lackey? Price? Sale when he signed an extension? The first two were decent before but only for a short time after they signed in Boston. Mostly, they were broken in body or spirit.

Sale was a great Red Sock until he signed here...

It's the signing part.

Trades, homegrowns, waiver wires hardly ever get hurt, for us.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

It's the signing part.

Trades, homegrowns, waiver wires hardly ever get hurt, for us.

It should be obvious by now that all our pitchers are blowing out their arms by pushing down too hard when signing the documents.

The Red Sox front office should just wise up: hand free agents lighter pens with ample ink.

[moonslav59]

I think we are on to something!

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

That sounds about right -- to chumps like me. But what about the pro fessionals in the front office?

What do you think the odds are -- that they give themselves -- when they sign free agents every freaking winter who are damaged goods?

Here, Paxton, here's millions of dollars to rehab for an entire season, then finally return to the mound the next year -- pitch one great month, then not get traded at peak value at the deadline, before breaking down again for the stretch walk -- and then the season after that, when you pitch for someone else and beat us, we'll trade them a prospect to get you back in Boston, where you can instantly get re-injured and never throw again. 

Per FanGraphs, he was worth about 8M in his first stint with the Sox. Clearly, he was overpaid, but we've had much worse contracts. 

[Bellhorn04]

Sam clears the air as only he can! 😀🙃😀

 

Sam Kennedy on pursuing Alex Bregman: "I’m not allowed to talk about any specific free agent negotiations or anything, but given that he’s unsigned, I think that speaks for itself."

 

Chris Cotillo 3:11 PM · Feb 3, 2025

 

[mvp 78]

I think Sam is insinuating that if the Sox really wanted him, that he'd be signed by now. 

[mvp 78]

 

[Hitch]

15 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

That's been my suspicion for a while. Boras is desperately trying anything not to let down another client who turned down a large pre-free agency offer in terms of testing the market. 

[moonslav59]

He probably has a 5 year deal or two offered, and that's why the Sox name is still mentioned, from time to time. If the Sox offered 4, they are close. Maybe he takes a 4 year deal with a higher AAV and an opt out after 1 or 2 years over a 5 year deal that just gives him $10-15M more. Maybe not.

Maybe they think the Sox might buckle and go 5.

I think Fenway would suit Bregman fine. If he gets an opt out with the Sox, he could maybe build his value with 1-2 big years w BOS. Maybe no.

I'm not counting on us getting him. The odds are probably 1-5%, but I keep checking MLBTR, everyday.

[moonslav59]

On 1/28/2025 at 3:30 PM, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

That sounds about right -- to chumps like me. But what about the pro fessionals in the front office?

What do you think the odds are -- that they give themselves -- when they sign free agents every freaking winter who are damaged goods?

Here, Paxton, here's millions of dollars to rehab for an entire season, then finally return to the mound the next year -- pitch one great month, then not get traded at peak value at the deadline, before breaking down again for the stretch walk -- and then the season after that, when you pitch for someone else and beat us, we'll trade them a prospect to get you back in Boston, where you can instantly get re-injured and never throw again. 

If you total up Paxton, Richards and Kluber, it's $30M. I think we could do better with a $30M/3 or $30M/2 type deal, but I'm not sure how much better.

Kikuchi signed for $36M/2 in '22. I know that is cherry picking. Others signed for about the same and did about as badly as Richards-Kluber-Paxton.

Imanaga signed for $13.5M x 4 in '24 and Lugo for $15M x 3, the same year. Not sure those are fair comps, unless you include the Sandoval or Buehler deals as part of the exchange.