The Boston Red Sox went into the winter meetings with a few big targets, but they whiffed on multiple top names.
Pete Alonso agreed to a deal with the Baltimore Orioles while Kyle Schwarber remained with the Philadelphia Phillies. That leaves Alex Bregman as the team’s top priority going forward, and they can’t afford to miss out on him. Jim Bowden of The Athletic projected the star would sign for $182 million this offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston recently predicted the Red Sox would sign Bregman to a new deal after the winter meetings.
“Bregman will not be without other potential suitors, with the Detroit Tigers the greatest opposition to the Red Sox for his services,” Beaston wrote. “As Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported, though, the team’s interest has not been as evident as expected given how vocal they were about wanting to acquire him last offseason.
“While there are other World Series contenders interested in Bregman, the Red Sox appear to be the frontrunners.”
The Red Sox can’t leave free agency without one of the top bats.
There’s a chance they can pursue a star like Bo Bichette or Ketel Marte, but re-signing Bregman makes a lot more sense.
Bregman was well-liked in his one season with the Red Sox. He was one of the best players on the team, too, so the fit makes perfect sense.
More MLB: MLB Offseason Tracker: Orioles Make Splash By Signing Pete Alonso