Bregman, Bichette or something else?

[Paul Cyr]

With Alonso headed to the Orioles, the Sox have one less option to fill their clear need for a right handed hitting power bat. With a left field wall that can be cleared with a pitching wedge and an already overloaded left handed lineup, getting a right handed hitting thumper would seem to be common sense.  

[mvp 78]

Welcome to TalkSox!

I think they'll probably sign Breggie and try to trade for an additional RHB. Maybe grab a cheaper FA RHB like Hoskins if the trade market falls through. 

[notin]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Welcome to TalkSox!

I think they'll probably sign Breggie and try to trade for an additional RHB. Maybe grab a cheaper FA RHB like Hoskins if the trade market falls through. 

Josh Bell.  Not a true RHH, and honestly not as great from that side.  But his impressive StatCast page feels like something to catch their attention…

[Deja Doh]

Sign both Bregman and Bichette.

Not sure what we are waiting for?

[vjcsmoke]

8 minutes ago, Deja Doh said:

Sign both Bregman and Bichette.

Not sure what we are waiting for?

They are waiting for Bregman's salary demands to go down. And I doubt that will happen.

He turned down 40m per year so that he could get a long term deal. He probably wants at least 5 years.

Schwarber and Alonso set the market. 5/150 to 5/155 is probably the range of money he wants.

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, vjcsmoke said:

They are waiting for Bregman's salary demands to go down. And I doubt that will happen.

He turned down 40m per year so that he could get a long term deal. He probably wants at least 5 years.

Schwarber and Alonso set the market. 5/150 to 5/155 is probably the range of money he wants.

BorASS has reached out to the Mariners saying Bregman would be interested. Trying to drum up business, and a higher contract?

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Josh Bell.  Not a true RHH, and honestly not as great from that side.  But his impressive StatCast page feels like something to catch their attention…

The risk is he's just a DH and regresses to '24 Josh Bell. It really doesn't move the needle at all and is just an injury replacement for Casas until he's ready. 

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, Deja Doh said:

Sign both Bregman and Bichette.

Not sure what we are waiting for?

Not a chance. 

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, vjcsmoke said:

He turned down 40m per year so that he could get a long term deal.

• It was $31M including deferrals
• He got injured
• If no one wanted to pay him last year, will they want to pay this year?

I have no doubt he'll improve on the $31.2M CBT * 2 that he opted out of.  It is a matter of how much other teams are willing to go.

[JoeBrady]

48 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The risk is he's just a DH and regresses to '24 Josh Bell. It really doesn't move the needle at all and is just an injury replacement for Casas until he's ready. 

Bell won't be here.  I'd bet serious money that Casas will out-perform him.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

BorASS has reached out to the Mariners saying Bregman would be interested. Trying to drum up business, and a higher contract?

Probably.  If Seattle is uninterested in trying to re-sign Suarez, I don't see them going after Bregman either.  I'll give you one other factor.  Bregman has made a gazillion $$$.  He likely wants a shot at the HOF.  He could opt for a longer deal in Fenway, at a big AAV discount, just to accumulate numbers.  He is currently 16.9 bWAR short of 60.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, Deja Doh said:

Sign both Bregman and Bichette.

Not sure what we are waiting for?

New owners. 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

Probably.  If Seattle is uninterested in trying to re-sign Suarez, I don't see them going after Bregman either.  I'll give you one other factor.  Bregman has made a gazillion $$$.  He likely wants a shot at the HOF.  He could opt for a longer deal in Fenway, at a big AAV discount, just to accumulate numbers.  He is currently 16.9 bWAR short of 60.

If he wants to accumulate numbers, he shouldn't play in BOS. 

'25 HOME 761 OPS, 6 HR

'25 AWAY 875 OPS, 12 HR

[mvp 78]

"He got a swing tailor made for Fenway, kid!" 😎

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

Probably.  If Seattle is uninterested in trying to re-sign Suarez, I don't see them going after Bregman either.  I'll give you one other factor.  Bregman has made a gazillion $$$.  He likely wants a shot at the HOF.  He could opt for a longer deal in Fenway, at a big AAV discount, just to accumulate numbers.  He is currently 16.9 bWAR short of 60.

At the end of the day it's the total money that matters more than the AAV. 

Bregman only got such a high AAV last year because he took less total money.  He only took less total money because he thought he could come back this year and get more.  All he really has to do is get more than $80 million dollars for it to be worth it.  I'm sure he gets much more than that, but I'm not so sure he beats Schwarber or Alonso. 

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

At the end of the day it's the total money that matters more than the AAV. 

Bregman only got such a high AAV last year because he took less total money.  He only took less total money because he thought he could come back this year and get more.  All he really has to do is get more than $80 million dollars for it to be worth it.  I'm sure he gets much more than that, but I'm not so sure he beats Schwarber or Alonso. 

5/81M. Make the call Craig! 

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

If he wants to accumulate numbers, he shouldn't play in BOS. 

'25 HOME 761 OPS, 6 HR

'25 AWAY 875 OPS, 12 HR

.898 career at Fenway.

[notin]

4 hours ago, Old Red said:

BorASS has reached out to the Mariners saying Bregman would be interested. Trying to drum up business, and a higher contract?

What unusual tasks for an agent…

[notin]

3 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

Probably.  If Seattle is uninterested in trying to re-sign Suarez, I don't see them going after Bregman either.  I'll give you one other factor.  Bregman has made a gazillion $$$.  He likely wants a shot at the HOF.  He could opt for a longer deal in Fenway, at a big AAV discount, just to accumulate numbers.  He is currently 16.9 bWAR short of 60.

Maybe Seattle is uninterested in Suarez because they’re interested In Bregman..

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

5/81M. Make the call Craig! 

I know this would never happen, but I'd love to see his market collapse and this happen.  Not because I don't want Bregman to get paid but because......BORAS

[Eldon Dunlop]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Not a chance. 

I would not mind seeing one of Bregman , Marte , or Bichette , paired with one of E. Suarez , Okamoto , or Polanco . 

[Eldon Dunlop]

So far I'm really loving the content , and comments that I'm reading here . Thanks for accepting me to your great site !

[JoeBrady]

16 minutes ago, Eldon Dunlop said:

So far I'm really loving the content , and comments that I'm reading here . Thanks for accepting me to your great site !

Welcome to the club.  I love diversity of opinion.

[mvp 78]

16 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

.898 career at Fenway.

A lot of it against mediocre Sox pitching it seems like! 

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

I know this would never happen, but I'd love to see his market collapse and this happen.  Not because I don't want Bregman to get paid but because......BORAS

I just can't be worried about Boras being a bogeyman at this point. GM's have had to deal with him forever. They should know the deal by now.

[mvp 78]

16 hours ago, notin said:

Maybe Seattle is uninterested in Suarez because they’re interested In Bregman..

They are uninterested in Suarez because 682 OPS with SEA in 2025 and career 741 OPS with SEA. Bad fit.

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I just can't be worried about Boras being a bogeyman at this point. GM's have had to deal with him forever. They should know the deal by now.

As the Red Sox showed only offering Alonso 3 years I think the Red Sox want Bregman, but are trying to get as short of a deal as they can.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

As the Red Sox showed only offering Alonso 3 years I think the Red Sox want Bregman, but are trying to get as short of a deal as they can.

As presumed, Bregman -- and more Boras -- has held up the position player plan. 

If the Sox' top priority is to bring back Bregman, they can't overpay for guys like Schwarber or Alonso in the meantime.

They also can't overpay for Bichette or waste money on Suarez until they know Bregman is signing somewhere else.

Brez can make trades while waiting, but even those may be delayed until he can better target specific positions that are "open" (this is why both management and the front office value versatility so much; to fill in holes for players too expensive for ownership).

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

They are uninterested in Suarez because 682 OPS with SEA in 2025 and career 741 OPS with SEA. Bad fit.

I dont think its Bregman vs Suarez, I honestly think it was Naylor vs Suarez and the decision was made.

I was lukewarm on Geno, but Ive recently warmed up.

[Duran Is The Man]

3 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

I dont think its Bregman vs Suarez, I honestly think it was Naylor vs Suarez and the decision was made.

I was lukewarm on Geno, but Ive recently warmed up.

i saw Geno play several games last year when the Mariners were in KC. i'd be fine with him at third.