he Boston Red Sox made a huge move last offseason by signing Alex Bregman, but after an All-Star year, he has opted out of his three-year, $120 million contract. Now, the Red Sox must decide if they want him back.
Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 in 114 games last season. Before his injury, he had a .299 batting average with a .938 OPS. He was a huge reason for Boston’s success last season, and CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry predicted the Red Sox would find a way to bring him back.
“Sometimes the boring answer is the most reasonable one,” Perry wrote on Tuesday. “Bregman goes back to Boston. They’re quite likely to contend in 2026 and probably beyond thanks to the young talent base, Bregman fills a need for them and the role of veteran stabilizer, and his relationship with manager Alex Cora is a strong one. This time, it’s a multi-year pairing between club and free agent.”
Not only was Bregman a huge presence in the lineup, but he also was a great leader. Younger players on the team praised him for helping them through struggles.
“He’s like a coach, really,” Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer said to The Athletic in July. “I can’t really say enough of how much he’s helped not only me and Roman (Anthony), but the whole team. He has people coming in early and watching film, whether that’s me, (Jarren) Duran or whoever it may be. And I think he just sees the game at a super advanced level compared to most people.”
It was not just the young players on the team that benefited from having Bregman in the clubhouse. He ensured everyone was ready to go to help the team win.
“He’ll go up to somebody like, ‘How do you think (the starter) is going to throw you today?’” Rob Refsnyder said to The Athletic in July. “And he’ll be like, ‘Nope, wrong’ or ‘Yeah OK, that’s right’. It’s super intense but makes guys feel like there’s a test every day.”
On the field, Bregman was named an All-Star for the first time since 2019. In 2018 and 2019, he slashed .291/.409/.561 with 72 home runs in 313 games. However, after that, he was not quite the same til he got to Boston.
From 2020 through 2024, Bregman had an.795 OPS and 92 home runs. He looked more like the All-Star version of himself in 2025, and the Red Sox would be wise to keep him around.
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