The Alex Bregman sweepstakes is thankfully over with, as the third baseman agreed to a three-year deal with the Red Sox last night worth $120 million. The deal also included opt-outs after the first two seasons according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
Buster Olney of ESPN also mentioned that the deferreals in place put the 30-year-old’s contract in the $90M range which makes this whole outcome even more interesting considering the other offers on the table.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was reporting that the Tigers offered Bregman six years and $171.5 million with an opt-out after 2026, while the Chicago Cubs made a four-year, $120-million proposal with opt-outs after the 2026 and ’27 seasons. Meanwhile, Bregman’s former team, the Astros, were offering six years at $156-million, something the veteran infielder ultimately turned down.
So, in essence, it seemed like the choice was always going to be Boston (given a seven year deal wasn’t on the table) and their little league park that’ll offer Bregman a chance to pad his stats and attempt at an even more lucrative deal while still seemingly in his “prime.” Nonetheless, the deal with the Red Sox also, in a way saves a Club like the Tigers from having to suffer from a bad contract. Sure, Scott Harris and Chris Ilitch get points for trying, but a six year deal for Bregman who’s only hit more than 30 home runs twice in his career would still look god awful on the back end.
