Alex Bregman has turned out to be an amazing player and leader for the Boston Red Sox. However, it looks like his time in Boston may be cut short, as he is predicted to opt-out this offseason to look for a long-term deal.
Bregman might not leave, though. Fansided’s Robert Murray believes the Sox made two moves this season to ensure they could keep Bregman: trading Rafael Devers, and signing Roman Anthony to a team-friendly extension.
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“But by trading Devers, the Red Sox have increased flexibility. The Giants took on the remainder of the approximately $254.5 million still owed to the star slugger through the 2033 season. The Red Sox also got ahead of Roman Anthony’s future massive payday by signing him to an eight-year, $130 million contract, well below what he would have earned had he waited,” Murray wrote.
Murray continued, stating the reason Bregman’s opting out is because of his agent who is known for gunning for paydays, Scott Boras.
“So why haven’t the Red Sox extended Bregman yet? Well, because he’s represented by Scott Boras. He prefers his players establish their values on the open market, allowing them to get the most cash possible. Which means that Bregman has always been highly, highly unlikely to do an extension before free agency, and surely Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office understood that,” Murray stated.
So with that in mind, the Sox trading away Devers’ contract and signing Anthony to an early long-term deal really shows they are committed to keeping Bregman. Hopefully they do, as he has become a core part of the Red Sox.
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