The Boston Red Sox pushed all their chips to the middle last offseason when they opted to sign veteran infielder Alex Bregman to a massive deal. But Bregman’s contract came with an opt out after this season and he’s expected to use this opt out to reenter free agency this winter.

When Bregman lands back in free agency, there will be no shortage of suitors. He’s been tremendous during his time with the Red Sox, and the entire league was able to see it. His value has gone up over the last calendar year.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently made the shocking suggestion that the Los Angeles Angels could be the “dark horse” candidate in the Bregman sweepstakes this winter, assuming he opts out of his contract.

Jul 25, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a RBI against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

“The race for AL MVP eventually became a heated debate between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh,” Miller wrote. “But before Alex Bregman suffered that quad strain in late May that kept him out of action for nearly two months, he was one of the top challengers to Judge, batting .314 and on pace for about 40 home runs and 120 RBI. Clearly, he didn’t get there, but he still ended up with his best OPS since almost winning AL MVP in 2019.

“What’s the record for money spent on third basemen in a single season? The Halos have one more year of Anthony Rendon’s crippling $38.6 million salary. But he didn’t play in 2025, and the two guys who spent the most time at their hot corner—Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo—are both free agents. Unless they’re just embracing an 11th consecutive sub-.500 season, doing something at third base is kind of a must.”

The Angels could find a way to afford this. They’ve spent unreasonable amounts of money before and there’s a chance they send a lot of money Bregman’s way to bring his services to Los Angeles.

But it feels like there’s no way the Red Sox lose the free agency sweepstakes to the Angels. Boston has more money to spend than Los Angeles. The Red Sox are also the incumbent team, so there’s likely a bit of a boost because of it.

It would be very shocking to see Bregman choose the Angels over the Red Sox, regardless of money.

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