In case you weren’t aware, it was reported earlier this week that the Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman would indeed be opting out of the remaining two years on his contract with Boston and will enter free agency. It was not really an unexpected move, as Bregman sat around all of last offseason looking for a new home after leaving the Houston Astros in free agency. Boston eventually became that new home in mid-February when Bregman agreed to a three year, $120M deal that included two opt-outs.
Bregman had difficulty on the market last year as a 30-year-old coming off of a sub-par offensive 2024 where he hit .260 with 26 home runs but had a career low .768 OPS and his worst OBP (.315) since his rookie year. But Bregman should have a more robust market in 2025, as he rebounded in Boston to post an .821 OPS, his best since an .820 mark in 2022, and hit .273, his best average since 2021. His .360 OBP would have ranked him among the top 20 in baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. The now 31-year-old played in 114 games in 2025 due to his late start and a quad injury that sidelined him for close to a month. Nevertheless, he still managed to accumulate 3.5 WAR and made his third All-Star game and first since 2019.
Bregman’s strong defense and patient approach at the plate as well as his right-handed bat would be a nice fit for the middle of the Phillies order, and he comes with championship pedigree. The problem of course is that the Phillies have Alec Bohm currently occupying third base and Aidan Miller in the wings behind him. Acquiring Bregman would necessitate finding a trade partner for Bohm. As far as how Miller plays into the equation, Bregman also has some experience at shortstop and second base, although he hasn’t played shortstop since 2019 and hasn’t played second since 2018. Moving him away from third would likely lessen some of his defensive value and would require another move in either trading Bryson Stott or moving Trea Turner off of shortstop to make room for either Bregman or Miller.
That doesn’t take into account the contract that Bregman could look to sign. It was rumored last offseason that he was looking for a six or seven-year deal worth over $200M. It remains to be seen if he will have a similar asking price this winter after his experience last year despite his bounce back performance on the field. Bregman will turn 32 on March 30th, meaning that any team that signs him would be taking on most of his 30s. The Phillies already have a fair share of money locked into aging players, and that’s before making decisions on Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, who will be 33 and 35 in 2026. Would Philadelphia want to hand out another long-term deal for possibly the downside of Bregman’s career? Could they? Our own John Stolnis broke down how the immediate and long-term payroll commitments already look for the Phillies.
So, should the Phillies pursue Alex Bregman? In a vacuum, he feels like a good fit, but there are multiple factors at play. Would you be comfortable handing Bregman a deal for over 5 years?