Pedro Martinez is fired up
The Red Sox just experienced their biggest swing and a miss of the offseason.
As was first reported by Jon Heyman, Alex Bregman has agreed to join the Cubs. Jeff Passan was the first to report that the agreement was for five years, $175 million, with no opt-outs.
This comes on the heels of multiple reports stating that the Red Sox had made an aggressive offer to Bregman, with Alex Cora stating at Fenway Fest Saturday that the ball was in the third baseman's court.
MassLive.com reported that the Red Sox were willing to give Bregman the five years the Cubs offered, but weren't prepared to pay the $35 million per year the Cubs landed on.
The failure to secure Bregman leaves the Red Sox in a perceived precarious position when it comes to finding the middle-of-the-order bat they had hoped to get via free agency. Now it would seem Craig Breslow and Co. will be forced to get into an even more uncomfortable bidding war for Bo Bichette.
Not only will Bichette likely receive a much more sizable contract due to his age (turning 28 years old on March 5), but there appears to be stiffer competition for the infielder. The Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets are all big-market teams that have shown some interest in Bichette.
While Bregman undoubtedly was a key factor in helping the Red Sox get to the 2025 postseason, getting just one year of him while having to give up a compensatory pick (due to the qualifying offer attached) is a rough look. Factor in that the acquisition spawned issues involving the since-departed Rafael Devers, and the loss of Bregman after just one year is an even tougher pill to swallow.
While the Red Sox do have some hope that Marcelo Mayer could man third base on a regular basis, such a commitment doesn't satisfy the need to get additional right-handed pop in Alex Cora's lineup.
The Cubs, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the most aggressive clubs in this offseason, having also just traded for top-of-the-rotation starter Edward Cabrera. Chicago was one of the finalists for Bregman last offseason, having also offered the third baseman a deal in the vicinity of what he settled on with the Red Sox but without the pair of opt-outs Boston delivered.