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It’s time for the Red Sox to sign Alex Bregman, and other thoughts ahead of spring training
Well, here we are, arriving at the “Yup, looks like we got suckered again” portion of the Red Sox offseason.
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COMMENTARY
Playing nine innings while noting that the Mavericks got more in return in their foolish trade of Luka Doncic than the Red Sox did when they sent Mookie Betts to LA …
1. Well, here we are, arriving at the “Yup, looks like we got suckered again” portion of the Red Sox offseason. Took me longer than others to get here, but the miserable destination has been reached. Until the last few days, I retained a modicum of hope — roughly equal to 2007 Wily Mo Pena’s chances of hitting a slider in the dirt, but still, a modicum — that Craig Breslow and the rest of the Boston brain trust will look at their lefty-heavy lineup, consider at Alex Bregman’s availability months into free agency, and decide, what the heck, let’s get this guy signed. Or, in other words, do what Alex Cora — who knows Bregman so well and appreciates him from their time with the Astros — desperately wants. Cora, after all, is the best baseball mind in this organization.
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2. Signing Bregman could help in multiple ways even if the fit isn’t perfect. He’s a fine defender who won a Gold Glove at third base last year (Rafael Devers’s was made of a cheaper alloy) and yet is willing to change positions if necessary. He plays with a Dustin Pedroia-like edge and is a natural leader. And while he’s not the force of a hitter he was in, say, 2019, when he hit 41 homers and finished second in the NL MVP race, he did hit 14 home runs with an .833 OPS in 53 games in the second half. Bregman is a very good and winning baseball player (OK, sometimes by listening for the sweet drumbeat of the trash can, but you get the point). The Red Sox could use a few more players with such attributes. (Right, minus the cheating).
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3. The price for Bregman would be steep, well past $100 million. And the length of the contract — he is reportedly looking for six years — is cause for pause. But they should sign him. They truly should. They have the money. They need his aforementioned attributes, and if you think a healthy Trevor Story is going to replace Baltimore-bound Tyler O’Neill’s 31-homers from the right side, I ask you this sincerely: there’s such a thing as a healthy Trevor Story? Most of all, it would build some much-needed goodwill with a fan base that has grown tired and distrustful of empty “ready to deliver” proclamations that money will be spent.
4. It seems apparent that part of the reason Breslow is reluctant to commit to Bregman is his faith in Kristian Campbell, the Baseball America’s 2024 Minor League Player of the Year and No. 4 overall prospect entering this season. The second baseman/outfielder was a monster across three levels of minor league ball last season, slashing .330/.439/.558 overall with 20 home runs and 32 doubles. I can’t wait to see this kid, and it’s reassuring that the Red Sox believe he is close after rocketing through their system. But given that he’s played just 137 games in the minors, I do hope their enthusiasm doesn’t lead to rushing him. Besides, having Campbell and Bregman on the roster is not exactly a bad thing.
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.@jimcallisMLB made it clear he’s talked with people who believe Kristian Campbell is the best prospect in all of baseball.
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) January 25, 2025
5. As ace colleague Peter Abraham noted on Bluesky — a social media app far superior to the toxic-waste dumping ground formerly known as Twitter — the Red Sox are projected to finish last in the AL East with 77.6 wins, per Baseball Prospectus’s PECOTA projections. (Go ahead and round up to 78 if that makes you feel better.) I believe they’ll be six or so wins better than that, primarily because of the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. But if they are that bad? Breslow might need to update his résumé.
6. One thing I do like about the roster-construction so far: Crochet’s acquisition from the White Sox allows the rest of the starting pitchers to slide into rotation spots where they fit well. Tanner Houck is a heck of a No. 2 or 3 starter (with Buehler also in that 2/3 mix), while the more modest expectations for Brayan Bello this year over last year should take a little bit of pressure off him.
7. One player I have no idea how to judge: Ceddanne Rafaela. The outfield defense is breathtaking, and his versatility is such an asset, but will he ever master the strike zone well enough to be a consistent hitter? I’m hoping yes because he can be so fun to watch, but I’m leaning no, because his 15/151 BB/K rate confirms that he has miles to go before he’s reliable.
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8. As someone who has a stack of Phil Plantier rookie cards that I was once sure would help pay for my kids’ college tuition (they are not), I’m not one to dole out sports-card investing advice. But I’ll say this: I don’t get the craze around Paul Skenes rookie cards. He’s an astoundingly talented young pitcher, but he’s a pitcher. It’s a long road to legend status, with injuries a probable road block and modern innings-limits a certain one. Also, I have some sweet Todd Van Poppels if you would like those.
9. The Dodgers should offer Alex Verdugo a non-roster invitation to spring training, if for no other reason than to thank the habitual bridge-burner for once having enough value to help pry Betts away from the Red Sox.
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