The Boston Red Sox are 1 /12 games out of an American League Wild Card spot entering play on Tuesday. However, if they become sellers, they could part ways with one of their biggest stars.
Alex Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox in the offseason. However, he has an opt-out after the season. He was having a career year at the plate before his injury, so it is likely that he will opt out in search of a better deal. If the Red Sox are out of contention and do not think they will be able to keep Bregman, he could yield a great trade return.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan linked the Chicago Cubs to a trade for Bregman. Matt Shaw has been the Cubs' primary third baseman. However, it's hard to deny that Bregman would be an upgrade over the rookie.
"Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016 but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019," wrote ESPN. "Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle and hard hit rate) are at career highs. His $40 million salary -- and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually -- significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal."
Shaw is hitting .219/.298/.313 on the year. He was one of the best prospects in the organization, and the Cubs are not going to give up on him. However, they may only get one shot at winning with Kyle Tucker on the team and need to go all in.
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Tucker could leave in free agency, and if not having an elite third baseman is going to hold the Cubs back, they need to be aggressive at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have an array of young talent that could benefit from more playing time. Marcelo Mayer could see even more playing time if Bregman is traded, getting him better prepared for next season.
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