Red Sox's 3-year, $120M Alex Bregman contract a perfect fit for Boston

The Boston Red Sox have spent this offseason hunting for another impact bat, and they just got the best one still on the market.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, third baseman Alex Bregman agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract with Boston on Wednesday night. The deal also contains opt-out clauses after each season.

Bregman was one of the top free agents in baseball at the start of the offseason, close to the same tier of talent as new San Francisco Giant Willy Adames. And he's exactly the kind of bat the Red Sox have been desperately seeking.

The core of the Red Sox's lineup was dominantly left-handed at the plate last year. Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, and Masataka Yoshida all hit from the left side of the plate, while top prospects Roman Anthony and and Marcelo Mayer are also lefties. While that makes sense, given the particularly unique dimensions of Fenway Park, it also meant that teams could throw left-handed pitchers out there and find a great deal of success.

Bregman gives them a legitimate threat from the right side of the plate, and one who has had success at Fenway Park in his career. He's hit .375 in 21 games, with seven home runs, and 15 RBI, and his OPS at Fenway is the best of any player who has at least 90 plate appearances at the stadium.

The 30-year-old did not become the super duper star many thought he'd be after a torrid first four years in the majors; injuries have seen his playing time and power dip, but he still hit .260 with 26 home runs in 145 games last year in Houston. On top of that, he's one of the better defensive third basemen in the sport; while he's not a Nolan Arenado-level defender, he's incredibly skilled, winning his first career Gold Glove last year.

The singular drawback to Bregman's arrival is that it creates some interesting logjams for getting Boston's best bats on the field at one time. It would likely force Devers, the previous third baseman, to either first base (where he has not played a single game in his major league career) or designated hitter (which would force last year's DH, Yoshida, into the outfield again, which has historically been a less-than-ideal place for him to be).

Bregman has played some shortstop, but putting him there could block the arrival of top prospect Marcelo Mayer, and neither Bregman nor Mayer have a ton of experience at second base.

Ultimately, though, the pros of Bregman's presence on this roster vastly outweigh whatever roster drama it may create; he's still one of the best hitters in baseball, and gives this team a dangerous, potent core that figures to help it contend for both a playoff spot, and a World Series next season

Home/MLB