Alex Bregman wants something different.
A year ago, he signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. The contract had a lot of deferred money, and it had an opt-out built in after the first season.
Bregman chose to use the opt-out and return to free agency this offseason.
Now a couple things have been made pretty clear. Bregman doesn't want that level of deferred money, and he also doesn't want a deal that short.
On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote, "Bregman and (Cody) Bellinger have taken shorter-term deals with opt-outs in the past, so both are looking for the security of long-term deals. Neither is likely to move off such an ask. Bregman figures to seek six years."
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This is Bregman's last major foray into free agency. There's no reason for him to settle for less than what he wants.
There are also plenty of teams still in the market for a big-name hitter, and the supply is shorter than the demand. That will work in Bregman's favor, too.
Recent reports from ESPN have suggested that the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers are leading the race for Bregman ahead of the Red Sox, who do want him back, too.
This report from Passan suggests that there might be an easy way to get a Bregman deal done. Give him a year (or two) more than any other team in the offer you make him.
Whether it's the Cubs, Tigers, Red Sox or a mystery team, Bregman is going to get a sizable, lengthy contract from someone. The team willing to offer the most has a good chance of getting it done.
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