The Boston Red Sox were dealt some brutal news on Saturday night, as their top free agent target, Alex Bregman, is signing on with the Chicago Cubs for five years at $175 million.
It's a huge contract for Bregman, which puts his AAV at $35 million per year. While it's a deal the Red Sox weren't willing to give, the update on their reported offer to Bregman makes this $175 million Cubs deal sting even more for fans.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman on MLB Network, the Red Sox had a reported offer on the table that wasn't far off from what the Cubs spent for Bregman. They had a chance to bump up their offer only a little, and instead, are letting him walk.
Red Sox offer to Alex Bregman makes Cubs deal sting even more for Boston fans
"Word was out there that Boston was in at around $160 million, maybe some deferred, but around $160 million," Heyman said.
"He was highly sought-after and certainly the Cubs really stepped up this time offering a lot more than they did last year."@JonHeyman breaks down Alex Bregman's reported 5-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Https://t.co/mjnPqekPi1 pic.twitter.com/CdxDg5QLO4
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 11, 2026
This is a tough update for the Red Sox. Not only did they lose out on Bregman, their top target, but it was not for very much.
Chicago got him for $175 million, and with $70 million deferred. Boston had an offer on the table of $160 million with some deferred, which is just $15 million away from his actual deal with the Cubs.
Losing out on Bregman was always a possibility, but the way the Red Sox lost him, by being just $15 million away, makes the loss sting even more.
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The 32-year-old third baseman signed a huge deal with the Cubs, and while it might not age the best, for the Red Sox, who shipped off Rafael Devers in part due to the Bregman signing, this has been a disastrous turn of events.
Not only did they move on from a franchise cornerstone to have Bregman on the roster, but they lost Bregman after just one year, and on a costly $40 million contract.
Boston needs to pivot to other options, and while Bo Bichette, Brendan Donovan, Eugenio Suarez, and others could be decent alternatives, losing out on Bregman, by just $15 million, is a tough situation for Red Sox fans to come to terms with.
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