Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal last offseason and opted out after his first All-Star season since 2019. While he was a solid player between 2019 and this year, he was not the same player he was during his back-to-back All-Star selections in Houston. During his two All-Star seasons with the Houston Astros, Bregman had a .970 OPS. In the next five seasons, he had a .795 OPS.
This past season, Bregman had an .821 OPS. It will be hard for him to find a deal with the same average annual value as the one he just had, but he should be able to land more years and top-tier money. In Just Baseball’s updated free agency predictions, Ryan Finkelstein predicted Bregman would sign a five-year, $155 million deal with Boston.
That would be the sixth-highest total value among third basemen and the fifth-highest average annual value. Bregman will not be cheap, but his impact on the Red Sox makes him a worthy investment. He was a great mentor for some of the team’s younger players last season, and even the veterans on the team raved about his leadership.
“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.”
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Bregman will turn 32 next season, but he proved he can still be an elite hitter. He is one of the top free agents on the market and could have numerous suitors. However, the Red Sox would be wise to outbod them and keep their star infielder in town.
The Red Sox will face stiff competition in the American League East for years to come. Between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, there is no shortage of stars in the division. The Red Sox need to find a way to keep their star in a Red Sox uniform.
