Alex Bregman The market seems very confused after the Blue Jays signed NPB third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Toronto was tied for a three-time All-Star but no longer has a center fielder spot (other than meeting the Bo Bichette).
The Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Tigers have been the most considered destinations. ESPN’s Buster Olney suggested last week that Boston had an offer on the table. In an ESPN column this morning, Olney raised the possibility that the Red Sox might be willing to do something similar to the six-year, $171.5MM offer the Tigers reportedly made for Bregman last winter. There is no solid reporting on what the Red Sox have put on the table, to be clear, so the idea that the Red Sox might go long seems to be an educated guess on Olney’s part.
Boston acquired Bregman to a three-year opt-out deal last winter. They increased the annual average value to $40MM, although there were significant reversals that brought the actual value closer to $30MM per year. Bregman is no longer stuck in a qualifying bid and is coming off a better season in 2024. He’s also entering his age-32 season, so he may be motivated to get a longer, more guaranteed deal. The advantages of taking short-term deals on the outs diminish as a player approaches his mid-30s.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand each wrote Tuesday that many in the industry considered Arizona and Toronto to be the top threats to Boston before the Jays added Okamoto. That would point to the Diamondbacks as the toughest opponent right now, yet most of the discussion on the Bregman/Arizona tie is tied to the powerhouse. Ketel Marte trade. With D-Backs general manager Mike Hazen suggesting they may take Marte off the market entirely, that could have a negative impact on Bregman.
Arizona could fit Marte and Bregman on the roster. The latter will step in as an everyday third baseman. The big question is whether ownership will sign off on another nine-point investment after extending Marte for $102.5MM last spring. Long-term earnings will be a bigger stumbling block than this year’s outlook. Marte agreed to forego $6MM of his $15MM salary in 2026, so trading him would free up a fraction of the first-year salary Bregman would command.
Meanwhile, two of last year’s finalists seem less likely to be caught this time around. Detroit has reportedly avoided making another long-term offer so far. Top shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle it is in the door of higher degrees. Bregman would be a significant upgrade over the current third base team Colt Keith, Zach McKinstry and it is possible Javier Baez and McGonigle arrives.
Manager AJ Hinch gave a vote of confidence to McKinstry in response to speculation about the acquisition of third base. “I get asked about third base all the time. I’m like, ‘Our guy made the All-Star team,'” Detroit’s captain told Audacy’s 97.1 The Ticket (h/t to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press ).
McKinstry was definitely an All-Star after a great first half, but he was a career utility player and hit .213/.278/.378 after the break. It’s hard to believe he’s actually standing in the way of the Tigers signing Bregman — though it’s understandable that Hinch would publicly defend his player. Detroit’s projected salary cap of $165MM is now more than $20MM higher than where they opened the 2025 season, which appears to be a major obstacle to free agent movement.
The Cubs proposed a four-year, $115MM deal last winter. They are placed on the edge of the market in this regard. Matt Shaw had an encouraging second half of his rookie season. President of baseball Jed Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins spoke at the Winter Meetings about their confidence in the 24-year-old. It doesn’t seem like much has changed in the last month about that. Feinsand reports that while the Cubs continue to have some interest in Bregman, he is not expected to make a very high offer.
