{"id":504891,"date":"2026-01-04T04:20:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T04:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/504891\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T04:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T04:20:13","slug":"red-sox-receive-good-news-in-mlb-free-agency-after-alex-bregman-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/504891\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox Receive Good News in MLB Free Agency After Alex Bregman Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/mlb\/boston-red-sox\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Boston Red Sox;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Boston Red Sox<\/a> are looking to build on their momentum from last season in 2026, and the front office has acted aggressively through trades to bolster the roster. However, one key contributor from 2025 remains unsigned: <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/mlb\/10-greatest-third-basemen-major-league-baseball-history\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:third baseman;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">third baseman<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/tag\/alex-bregman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Alex Bregman;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Alex Bregman<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 31-year-old veteran is an unrestricted free agent for the second consecutive offseason as he continues to pursue a long-term deal.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Bregman\u2019s season with the Red Sox was a success both on and off the field. He provided a steadying influence in the clubhouse, serving as a valuable presence for a young roster filled with emerging talent.<\/p>\n<p>On the diamond, he remained productive, posting a .273 batting average, .360 on-base percentage and .821 OPS, while adding 18 home runs and 62 RBIs across 114 games. His ability to blend veteran leadership with consistent offensive production made him one of Boston\u2019s most important pieces in 2025.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman during the 2025 MLB season.Troy Taormina-Imagn Images\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"672\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/c058299662ce443b1aab18e4b8492d1b.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman during the 2025 MLB season.Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>That performance has drawn interest from around the league, including from Boston\u2019s AL East rivals, the <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/mlb\/toronto-blue-jays\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Toronto Blue Jays;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>. Fresh off a World Series appearance, Toronto has been widely viewed as one of the offseason\u2019s biggest winners.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Their interest in Bregman was very real, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6907283\/2025\/12\/20\/what-im-hearing-about-the-blue-jays-interest-in-bregman-plus-more-mlb-offseason-notes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic<\/a>. &#8220;The Athletic\u2019s Mitch Bannon wrote at the Winter Meetings that Bregman was a &#8216;potential backup plan&#8217; if the Blue Jays did not sign right fielder <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/tag\/kyle-tucker\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kyle Tucker;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Kyle Tucker<\/a> or infielder <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/tag\/bo-bichette\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Bo Bichette;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Bo Bichette<\/a>. Bregman might be more than that. Team officials have been in recent contact with Bregman\u2019s agent, Scott Boras, according to sources briefed on the conversations,&#8221; Rosenthal reported in December.<\/p>\n<p>However, that dynamic shifted on Saturday, when the Blue Jays signed Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $160 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Okamoto\u2019s arrival almost certainly takes Toronto out of the Bregman sweepstakes, as he is expected to be their everyday third baseman.<\/p>\n<p>That development could open the door for Boston to strike. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gingersnaphyde\/status\/2007154918180958437?s=20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:ESPN\u2019s Buster Olney;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">ESPN\u2019s Buster Olney<\/a> said on Friday\u2019s edition of &#8220;First Up with Korolnek&#8221; and Colaiacovo that he believes a Red Sox\u2013Bregman reunion is likely, adding that Boston has already made an aggressive offer to the third baseman. With Toronto out of the picture, the chances of Bregman returning to Fenway Park appear stronger than ever.<\/p>\n<p>A reunion would mean more than just adding a proven bat to the lineup. For the Red Sox, bringing Bregman back would preserve the veteran leadership that helped stabilize the clubhouse last season. It would also give Boston a reliable presence at third base, ensuring continuity for a roster that has undergone significant change this winter.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/alex-bregman-sends-connelly-early-140000121.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Related: Alex Bregman Sends Connelly Early Message Amid MLB Free Agency;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Related: Alex Bregman Sends Connelly Early Message Amid MLB Free Agency<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This story was originally published by <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/mlb\/boston-red-sox\/red-sox-receive-good-news-in-mlb-free-agency-after-alex-bregman-report-blue-jays-kazuma-okamoto\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Athlon Sports;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Athlon Sports<\/a> on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/mlb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:MLB;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">MLB<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=athlonsports.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Preferred Source by clicking here.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Boston Red Sox are looking to build on their momentum from last season in 2026, and the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[72,5,88,48,8611,4748,29,4,3805,70,66954],"class_list":{"0":"post-504891","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-mlb","7":"tag-alex-bregman","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-bo-bichette","10":"tag-boston-red-sox","11":"tag-jon-heyman","12":"tag-ken-rosenthal","13":"tag-kyle-tucker","14":"tag-mlb","15":"tag-third-baseman","16":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","17":"tag-unrestricted-free-agent"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115834914424361774","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504891\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}