The Boston Red Sox have not made any progress in talks to re-sign Alex Bregman, but it’s not a totally bad thing. In fact, they may have the upper hand due to a factor that Bregman’s camp didn’t see coming.
That fact is the market he’s looking for might not be there. According to Red Sox insider Marino Pepen, Bregman’s camp is seeking a bigger deal than his market suggests, and teams aren’t being as aggressive for him as last year.
“Alex Bregman is looking for around $175 MM over 5 years, and the market trend is around $150 MM over 5 years. Teams have been cautious with their offers, and the market is closing in on him. He just came off, in his first year, of a $120 MM contract over 3 years. Did he make a mistake? We'll see…” Pepen posted.
To continue on that fact. The Red Sox are not overly concerned about re-signing Bregman before landing another hitter, as his market continues to diminish. According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Bregman’s long-term injury this past season is a factor.
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“At this point, the Red Sox’ best hope to re-sign Bregman may lie with a somewhat diminished market for the veteran infielder. If Bregman had difficulty landing a five-year deal last winter — Detroit offered him six years and $171 million — what are the chances that changes this time around, now that he’s a year older and especially taking his injury history into account?” Cotillo wrote.
Hopefully, the Sox find a slugger soon, so they can use that as leverage to get Bregman back quickly as well. If they can do that, then they have a fighting chance at finding a trade for a pitcher as well.
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