With Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber off the board, Alex Bregman is one of the top remaining free agent position players who remains unsigned. If the Red Sox aim to re-sign him, they might face some unexpected competition from a team out west.
The Diamondbacks, who had not been publicly linked to Bregman this winter, have become a “surprise entrant” into the race to sign him, as reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman and others. Underdog’s Jared Carrabis previously mentioned that a “mystery team” was involved with Bregman talks.
The rumor mill around Bregman, who opted out of his contract with the Red Sox after the season in order to test free agency for the second straight winter, has largely been quiet this offseason. The Red Sox, in an effort to bolster their offense, have interest in a reunion while the Cubs (who reportedly had a Zoom call with Bregman earlier this winter) and Tigers have been linked as potential suitors after failing to land him last winter. The Mariners were a possibility entering the offseason but committed $92.5 million to first baseman Josh Naylor and seem to be out of the market for a top third baseman. The Blue Jays, Phillies and other big market teams are speculative fits as well.
The interest from Arizona, however, has seemingly come out of nowhere and might intrigue Bregman, a New Mexico native who might cherish the chance to play close to home. The Diamondbacks are discussing trades involving Ketel Marte, who has six years and $102.5 million left on his contract, and clearing Marte’s salary could open a path to a Bregman deal. Notably, the Red Sox are one of the teams involved on Marte as they look to shore up their infield. Boston has the ability to re-sign Bregman and deal Marte if things line up.
After settling for a short-term contract (a three-year, $120 million deal with opt-outs after Years 1 and 2) in February, Bregman is unlikely to look for anything other than long-term financial security this time around. In June, Bregman said that signing a deal in a place he could call home for the rest of his career was a “very high priority” this time in free agency and the Diamondbacks might be less hesitant to offer a big deal to a player who will turn 32 in the season’s opening week. Arizona has surprised the industry with big free agent signings before, signing Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206.5 million deal in 2015, Madison Bumgarner for five years and $85 million in 2019 and Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal last December. If the appetite for a big expenditure is there again, Arizona could be a major player in the Bregman race.
Early in the offseason, one Red Sox source identified a Bregman reunion as a priority for Boston, pointing out that while Bregman struggled offensively after returning from a seven-week injured list stint, his defense at third base was a game-changer that won Boston games in 2025. At last week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gave his strongest endorsement of a possible Bregman reunion since the end of the year.
“We saw what he was able to bring on the field and in the clubhouse last year and he’s still out there,” Breslow said. “He’s still out there and he’s a guy that can fit our roster particularly well.”