Boston Red Sox fans might soon have an answer to one of the biggest questions facing this Major League Baseball offseason.
Unless a decision comes sooner, the team will get a stronger sense of Alex Bregman’s market during the upcoming Winter Meetings. Then it can better determine whether it is willing to meet the cost of reuniting with Bregman after he opted out of his contract following a successful bounceback season in Boston.
Bregman is a clear fit for a return to the Red Sox as a solid infielder, strong bat and valuable mentor to its core of young players. And as a decision on Bregman’s next contract looms, one of those young players sent him a message.
“Is that the warmup?” Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony asked in the comment section of Bregman’s recent Instagram post.
The post showed Bregman preparing to squat several hundred pounds, an especially impressive setup considering he missed some time during this past season with a quad strain. And the interaction underscored the impression that Bregman made on the organization off the field during his short stint.
Bregman was frequently praised for his leadership with the Red Sox. He was interested in going over hitting mechanics with his teammates, communicated with other players in Spanish and frequently praised the team’s young stars.
“Super special player,” Bregman said of Anthony after he hit his first career home run at Fenway Park in July, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell. “I think he’s going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. He’s fun to watch and it’s been awesome to watch him go about his business.”
Clearly, Anthony became close enough to Bregman to feel comfortable posting a tongue-in-cheek comment on the veteran’s photo. And their relationship could be one good reason for Anthony to hope that the team can sign him to a reunion.
But another good reason would be the third baseman’s offensive production. Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs for the Red Sox, earning his third-career All-Star appearance and ninth straight postseason appearance.
As a result, it won’t be easy to keep him in town. Bregman could earn $112 million in a four-year deal going forward, per Spotrac. Some of his suitors from last winter, like the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, could still be interested in stealing him away from the Red Sox and their crop of young stars.
