The Boston Red Sox season is over, and now the front office has to start thinking about building the team for next season and years beyond.
One big name to watch this offseason is All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman. He was a key reason the Red Sox made the postseason. He signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the team last winter, but has an opt-out. His resurgent 2025 season has set him up to find a lucrative deal in free agency, and the Red Sox could be the team that gives it to him.
Bregman became the leader of a team full of young players. With Rafael Devers’ contract no longer financially constraining the team, the money is there if the Red Sox want to keep Bregman around. However, Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo thinks the team could actually let Bregman walk with concerns about health and decline with age.
“One of my big takes heading into this winter is that they might be more willing to let Bregman walk than everyone thinks,” Cotillo wrote on X. “There are concerns about the aging curve and health there. Have to weigh that against leadership/intangibles/his ceiling. Remember, split camp last winter.”
Bregman is 31 years old and was just named an All-Star for the first time since 2019. However, he did miss a chunk of the season with a quad injury. He still played in 114 games but hit .250 with a .724 OPS after his stint on the injured list. Before he got hurt, he had a .299 average and .938 OPS.
Bregman likely wants a longer deal with more security, but the physical factors in his game could scare the Red Sox. His leadership and presence in the clubhouse are invaluable, but the Red Sox may not want to commit to a player they think will decline.
The Red Sox will surely do their homework before making any commitment to Bregman. However, it is hard to see the Red Sox making the postseason without him this year and losing him would be a huge blow to the fan base.
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