There was no Christmas morning miracle for Boston Red Sox fans hoping Alex Bregman would appear under the tree.

Bregman appears to be the most likely addition for the Red Sox as they search for offensive improvements, even if he isn’t so much an addition as a return to the status quo. He was good for Boston this year, though he tailed off down the stretch, and we know the entire clubhouse benefitted from his presence.

As Bregman’s market continues to evolve, all Red Sox fans can do these days is wait patiently for updates. And on Thursday, as a bit of a stocking stuffer, those fans received a brief insider’s summary of where things stand.

Red Sox, Bregman still on collision course?

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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Bregman remains the Red Sox’s Plan A, but there are three big bats on the back burner — two free agents and a trade candidate.

“They (the Red Sox) are hoping to bring back Alex Bregman,” wrote Heyman. “The Diamondbacks, Cubs and Blue Jays also are interested in Bregman.

“The Red Sox are also considering Bo Bichette, Kazuma Okamoto and Ketel Marte.”

Arizona emerged as a Bregman suitor out of nowhere early last week, while the Blue Jays arrived on the scene as last weekend began. It’s possible that activity sped up Bregman’s decision timeline, which could also be accelerated by Okamoto’s posting window closing on Jan. 2.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today indicated on Sunday that the Red Sox would be out on Marte in the wake of the trade for Willson Contreras, but several others have pushed back against that notion in the days since. We can probably say that likelihood diminished, since the Red Sox gave up more young pitching than they already had to get Contreras, but it doesn’t appear to be off the table.

There’s also an argument to be made that Bichette shouldn’t be a backup plan to Bregman, since he’s younger and potentially a more impactful hitter, but it appears Boston can afford to wait because the Blue Jays are not only in on both of those two, but Kyle Tucker as well.

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