Alex Bregman remains a free agent and an option for the Red Sox after they missed out on Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso.
There are several teams linked to Bregman, including Boston, and one MLB insider believes he’ll end up returning to the Red Sox.
“In the end, a return to Boston still makes the most sense,” ESPN’s David Schoenfield wrote. “The Red Sox went after Schwarber and Alonso, and they need Bregman’s right-handed bat to help balance out the lefty-heavy lineup.”
Bregman signed a three-year deal with the Red Sox in February but opted out of the final two years in November. He expressed desire to have his next contract bring him to the end of his career, or at least close to it.
While the Red Sox remain linked to Bregman, the Arizona Diamondbacks emerged as a “surprise entrant” to sign the third baseman.
“Alex earned the right contract-wise to opt out and see what’s going on,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said during the Winter Meetings. “And we know he was very important last year and there’s a lot of leaders out there who are good players, too. So we’ll see what the future holds.”
Bregman finished the 2025 season with a .273 batting average with 18 home runs and 62 RBI — numbers that likely would have been inflated had he not been sidelined with the quad injury.
The veteran infielder also brought significant leadership to the clubhouse and helped the team to its first postseason appearance since 2021.
The Red Sox have not made a big splash yet this winter, and it’s unclear if the Red Sox would give 31-year-old Bregman the long-term deal he’s projected to get.