The Boston Red Sox's 2025 season came to a close on Thursday after dropping the final two games of their series against the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card.
After being eliminated from the playoffs, the Red Sox now turn their focus to the offseason.
One of the biggest questions surrounds third baseman Alex Bregman, one of their top acquisitions over the last winter.
Report: Alex Bregman expected to opt out of Red Sox deal
All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox on short notice before the start of the 2025 MLB season. The deal was a three-year, $120 million contract that allows the 31-year-old to opt out after the first year and test free agency again in 2026.
"It's a near certainty that Bregman will opt out and test free agency for a second straight year, this time without a qualifying offer attached to him," Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported.
However, this doesn't mean that Bregman won't opt out of his current deal to rework something different with the Red Sox.
"The possibility of Bregman returning to the Red Sox is hardly a stretch, as he was a good fit in the clubhouse and performed well when he was healthy... Perhaps the two sides will work out a long-term extension before it ever comes to an opt-out," Feinsand later mentioned in the article.
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Bregman was a large reason behind the Red Sox's successes this season. In his first year with the team, he was an All-Star in 2025, finishing with a .273 batting average, .360 on-base percentage, .462 slugging percentage, and a .821 OPS while hitting 18 home runs and 62 RBI.
It will be interesting to see how the Red Sox and Alex Bregman play out the next few months before the 2026 season.