The Athletic Confirms Boston's "Aggressive" Offer for Alex Bregman

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

The Sox have already stated that the market for Bo was too high for where they wanted to go after they met with him. I think they are all in on Bregman and don't have a backup plan. 

I think Suarez is the back-up plan.

If it's Donovan, it better not be a big package.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think Suarez is the back-up plan.

If it's Donovan, it better not be a big package.

Suarez's defense is not good enough today let alone 3 years from now. 

If it's Donovan are they going to be called the 2026 Boston Cardinals or the 2026 St Louis Red Sox of Boston? 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Your comment I responded to started with this:

Never make your final offer first, as they say. 

To me, that was an all encompassing statement that did not (fully) apply to the Lester situation. I thought I'd bring it up.

Red Sox love making the final offer and then never budging the like the south going zax. 

[mvp 78]

56 minutes ago, notin said:

A lot of those pundits have no more insight than we do…

Are much less attractive too. 

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Suarez's defense is not good enough today let alone 3 years from now. 

If it's Donovan are they going to be called the 2026 Boston Cardinals or the 2026 St Louis Red Sox of Boston? 

I think Suarez may take 2 years. If he gets 3 years, he moves to 1B, when Contreras bolts.

I'm not thrilled about Suarez, his high K rate and his defense, but his shorter term deal fits the plan B requirements for the budget and no large or long limits.

Gray, Contreras and Donovan are better than what we have, so I could care less about having 3 guys from the Cards or any team..

 

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Red Sox love making the final offer and then never budging the like the south going zax. 

They are certainly famous for fixing a value level and not going over it. They also do that for their own players reaching or nearing free agency. They've been right on a lot of those calls, but of course we remember Adrian Beltre and Derek Lowe more than Pedro & Ellsbury bolting.

[Old Red]

26 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The more money and years worked.

A lot more money.

[mvp 78]

25 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think Suarez may take 2 years. If he gets 3 years, he moves to 1B, when Contreras bolts.

I'm not thrilled about Suarez, his high K rate and his defense, but his shorter term deal fits the plan B requirements for the budget and no large or long limits.

Gray, Contreras and Donovan are better than what we have, so I could care less about having 3 guys from the Cards or any team..

 

The 2025 Cardinals went a Sox-esque 78-84. Is that the culture we're trying to bring back? 

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

The 2025 Cardinals went a Sox-esque 78-84. Is that the culture we're trying to bring back? 

Highly doubtful.

I'm glad we brought some "CWS culture" onto our team with Crochet.

Do you really believe this culture implication?

[mvp 78]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

Highly doubtful.

I'm glad we brought some "CWS culture" onto our team with Crochet.

Do you really believe this culture implication?

Did they bring Eloy and Luis Robert over too? 

[moonslav59]

19 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Did they bring Eloy and Luis Robert over too? 

It's not my theory: it's yours.

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Did they bring Eloy and Luis Robert over too? 

It worked for the Dodgers taking many players from the loser Sox team.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It worked for the Dodgers taking many players from the loser Sox team.

Yeah, they took so many high profile team leaders! 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Yeah, they took so many high profile team leaders! 

So how does taking Donovan differ?

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

They are certainly famous for fixing a value level and not going over it.

As they should be.  Mission creep can be disastrous.  Too many teams get caught up in rumors and wind up thinking that $21M is only $1M more than $20M.  Then $22M is only $1M more than $21M.  You should know ahead of time exactly what your final number is going to be.  Same with a house.  Same with a car.

[moonslav59]

15 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

As they should be.  Mission creep can be disastrous.  Too many teams get caught up in rumors and wind up thinking that $21M is only $1M more than $20M.  Then $22M is only $1M more than $21M.  You should know ahead of time exactly what your final number is going to be.  Same with a house.  Same with a car.

I hate when the car salesperson asks, "What can you afford to pay?"

[mvp 78]

14 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

As they should be.  Mission creep can be disastrous.  Too many teams get caught up in rumors and wind up thinking that $21M is only $1M more than $20M.  Then $22M is only $1M more than $21M.  You should know ahead of time exactly what your final number is going to be.  Same with a house.  Same with a car.

That's not what mission creep is. Not the definition at all. They are a baseball team. They should acquire FAs. If mission creep is acquiring FAs then they need new ownership. 

[drewski6]

The real world is gray with an infinite number of ever-changing variables. Everything is case by case. Rigidity is for boomers.  If you are unwilling to be flexible/creative/negotiate/think-outside-the-box/reconsider when uphill factors change (e.g. we missed out on player x, we are now willing to up our offer to player y)...you are being too rigid to your own detriment

Nothing happens in a vacuum.

The walk point on Bregman obvious changes as alternatives come off the board. Now I do agree that just 1m more, in perpetuity, can be a trap. But that doesnt mean that you view negotiations with a black/white/simple lens because if you are not willing to get creative, you are just not using everything available to you.

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

The real world is gray with an infinite number of ever-changing variables. Everything is case by case. Rigidity is for boomers.  If you are unwilling to be flexible/creative/negotiate/think-outside-the-box/reconsider when uphill factors change (e.g. we missed out on player x, we are now willing to up our offer to player y)...you are being too rigid to your own detriment

Nothing happens in a vacuum.

The walk point on Bregman obvious changes as alternatives come off the board. Now I do agree that just 1m more, in perpetuity, can be a trap. But that doesnt mean that you view negotiations with a black/white/simple lens because if you are not willing to get creative, you are just not using everything available to you.

The example that scares me is the last deadline. Apparently, Brez was "in on" many high quality players, and when they came off the board, nobody was left. That could happen, here.

What if we end up with Luis Rengifo or Yoan Moncada?

Are Kiner-Falefa or Willi Castro much better options?

I can't see us losing out on Bregman and then offering more years and money for Bichette. I see Suarez as the only plan B not involving a trade. Now, we have 4 starting FT OF'ers and a DH that might hit .800 (Yoshida,) so maybe we trade for a 3Bman or 2Bman better than Willi Castro.

I'm not confident we'd get someone who makes us a clearly better team than 2025, and that should be or should have been the goal and results from this offseason.

[Behindenemylines]

On 1/7/2026 at 11:51 AM, Bellhorn04 said:

They really need to put some sort of time window on MLB free agency.  After a while these drawn-out dramas become very tiresome.  

Agree, it seems like each offseason the problem continues to grow. Still way to many impact players still not signed and we are a month away from pitchers and catchers. It seems to work for the players coming over from Japan. Forces teams to put their bids in and not drag out the process.

[moonslav59]

Because fans get frustrated waiting?

[Randy Red Sox]

On 1/8/2026 at 10:53 AM, moonslav59 said:

I think Suarez is the back-up plan.

If it's Donovan, it better not be a big package.

i agree those are the likely 2 options.  1] Suarez on a last minute team friendly 1 yr deal  or 2} a Donovan trade for 1 of our top 3 SP prospects.. Either way nothing likely to happen for a while yet.

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

i agree those are the likely 2 options.  1] Suarez on a last minute team friendly 1 yr deal  or 2} a Donovan trade for 1 of our top 3 SP prospects.. Either way nothing likely to happen for a while yet.

No way I give a top 5 prospect for Donovan and certainly not top 3. Maybe Valero or Bennet plus 2 from Sandlin, Phillips and Mullins.

Suarez will get 2 year- probably 3, but maybe we can overpay him and get him to accept 2 or 2 with an option and nice buyout.

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Suarez will get 2 year- probably 3, but maybe we can overpay him and get him to accept 2 or 2 with an option and nice buyout.

I was on Suarez for two years, but you mentioned he could take over for Contreras in the 3rd year.  I wouldn't pay full freight for what will almost certainly be a declining year, but the fit is good.

[Randy Red Sox]

5 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

No way I give a top 5 prospect for Donovan and certainly not top 3. Maybe Valero or Bennet plus 2 from Sandlin, Phillips and Mullins.

Suarez will get 2 year- probably 3, but maybe we can overpay him and get him to accept 2 or 2 with an option and nice buyout.

guy is 34 now.  weak glove. will be lucky to get a 1 yr with a mutual 2nd yr option. If he signs with the Sox it likey won't be till ST is pending.

[JoeBrady]

On 1/8/2026 at 1:59 PM, mvp 78 said:

Suarez's defense is not good enough today let alone 3 years from now. 

If it's Donovan are they going to be called the 2026 Boston Cardinals or the 2026 St Louis Red Sox of Boston? 

Only if they include Bob 'f'ing Gibson.

[Bellhorn04]

16 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Because fans get frustrated waiting?

Yes, why not?  Pleasing the fans is what makes the money roll in. 

[Bellhorn04]

We could really use a new update from Jen!

[Randy Red Sox]

9 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yes, why not?  Pleasing the fans is what makes the money roll in. 

MLB FA is just a complete joke. All the other major sports FA moves along MUCH MUCH quicker than baseball does. Sox are simply waiting out to sign the last man standing on a 1 yr deal with maybe a 2nd yr option. In the meantime they will sign a few M/L FA's like they did yesterday. If they actually add someone decent in FA it will be around March 15th.

[moonslav59]

10 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

guy is 34 now.  weak glove. will be lucky to get a 1 yr with a mutual 2nd yr option. If he signs with the Sox it likey won't be till ST is pending.

If Bregman and Bichette sign soon, Suarez could sign shortly afterwards.

I think he gets 2 years, maybe a 3rd year option.

A one year deal might include a 2nd year option with a decent buyout number for Suarez.

$22M/1 and option for '27 at $21M but with a $5M buyout making it a $43M/2 or $27M/1 deal.