The big-name free agent hitters are pretty much all still available.
One of them, Alex Bregman, has had the attention of the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers not just this offseason but last winter, too.
The Red Sox won the bidding war last time around, but Bregman opted out of his contract after just one season, opening the negotiations again.
This time, the Chicago Cubs seem to be in the picture, too, but it could very well come down to Boston and Detroit again.
Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly has made projections for the top free agents multiple times this offseason, and he has changed his mind.
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Early on, he predicted the Tigers would get Bregman.
Now, he's got the Red Sox bringing Bregman back.
He hasn't changed his financial projection of five years for $135 million.
"There was a point early this offseason where it seemed like the Red Sox might be better off pivoting to a power bat like Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso," Kelly writes. "However, Schwarber returned to the Phillies, while Alonso wound up with the division-rival Orioles. So circling back to Bregman—who the Red Sox won't get anything for if he leaves in free agency—makes sense. Bregman is considered one of the best clubhouse presences in baseball, and posted an.821 OPS in his first season in Boston. If Craig Breslow re-signs Bregman, the Red Sox will be a trendy World Series pick."
Bregman was a big reason the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers last season. It'd be a bummer, at least a bit, if he made that happen and then left.
Boston could certainly use Bregman's bat, glove and leadership. And at least in this prediction, the Red Sox find a way to hold off the Tigers and keep their guy.
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