The Red Sox didn’t just lose an important right-handed bat and plus defender at third base with Alex Bregman leaving to sign a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday.

They lost their leader, too.

Bregman knows what it takes to win, appearing in nine straight postseasons and winning two World Series titles. In his only year with the Red Sox, he led them to their first postseason berth since 2021.

He also acted as a hitting coach, giving advice not only to young players but even veterans. Trevor Story, Boston’s 33-year-old veteran shortstop, broke out of a massive slump thanks to Bregman’s suggestions. Story hit .214 with a .261 on-base percentage and .321 slugging percentage through his first 61 games. He then batted .294 with a .337 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage over his final 96 games.

Manager Alex Cora has actually lost two veteran leaders this offseason. Rob Refsnyder, who had a strong clubhouse presence, left after four seasons to sign with the Mariners in December.

Who steps up now?

Story already was a leader alongside Bregman and Refsnyder, even inviting young players and prospects to his home in Dallas for his Story Camp the past three offseasons. He’ll need to increase his leadership role even more in Bregman’s absence.

Roman Anthony is arguably already the face of the franchise at just 21 years old. He inked an eight-year, $130 million extension in August, showing a long-term commitment to the organization in what should turn out to be a hometown discount.

Anthony has the talent to be one of the league’s top five players over the next decade. He also showed he’s mature beyond his years when he frequently stood in front of the media and took accountability after losses. He always said the right thing, something Refsnyder did so well during his four years here.

But while Anthony already has shown leadership qualities, it’s difficult to expect him to step into Bregman’s type of leadership role just 71 games into his major league career.

Bregman’s internal leadership came from 10 years of playing in the big leagues and learning about pitchers, game plans, approaches and what matters before, during and after games.

It would be unfair to expect the same from Anthony because he obviously hasn’t been around long enough to have this same type of knowledge. He’s still learning the ins and outs of the big leagues.

At Fenway Fest on Saturday, Anthony explained what makes Bregman such a special leader.

“The parts of the game that I wasn’t really great at in the minor leagues was preparing on a pitcher, on a pitching staff, and really diving into what I should and shouldn’t be looking for. And I think he helped so many of us with that,” Anthony said. “And I came up at a time when he was hurt and he was basically like a coach — and he was like another hitting coach for me.

“When I came up and got into that DH role a little bit after we made that trade (Rafael Devers trade on June 15), you can pull up the video, he’s sitting next to me every second of the game, just constantly showing me different things and helping me prepare,” Anthony added.

Garrett Crochet has embraced a leadership role and he’s committed to Boston long-term as well. He inked a six-year, $170 million extension on March 31.

His leadership was on display during the postseason. Cora told the players they could dress in casual clothes for the flight to New York for the AL Wild Card Series. Crochet overruled Cora, having the team dress in business casual instead.

“This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some guys on this team. So I think that we should treat it with the dignity that it deserves,” Crochet said back then.

Crochet, who then backed up his words with a dominant start in Game 1, certainly has the personality to do it. But it’s also difficult for someone who plays once every five games to have the same voice and impact as Bregman, an everyday player, did.

Cora said something interesting last season about the difference between Bregman and J.D. Martinez as leaders. Bregman can be a more well-rounded leader and is able to offer more because he plays both offense and defense while Martinez was simply a DH. Bregman is out there on both sides leading instead of just in the cage breaking down swing mechanics.

Catcher Carlos Narváez stepped up as a leader as a rookie in 2025 and that should continue this season. He showed the ability to say the right things to motivate his teammates, manage a pitching staff and take accountability after losses by standing in front of the media.

Willson Conteras — who Boston acquired in a trade with the Cardinals on Dec. 21 — brings 10 years of big league experience to the Red Sox clubhouse.

This is a relatively young group. Nineteen members of the 40-man roster are 27 years old or younger. Only six players — Greg Weissert (30), Masataka Yoshida (32), Contreras (33), Story (33), Sonny Gray (36) and Aroldis Chapman (37) — are 30 years old or older.

Anthony and Marcelo Mayer have shown they might be able to be similar leaders Bregman in the future. But they aren’t ready right now.

Multiple players will need to step up and lead in different ways.