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Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays

It was just 10 months ago that the Boston Red Sox, after three years largely devoid of major offseason moves, shook up baseball by signing free agent, two-time World Series champion third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract. Bregman went on to play an important role in getting the Red Sox to the postseason for the first time since 2021 — and only the second since their 2018 team won 108 games and the World Series.

But one of the provisions of Bregman’s contract gave him the option to step away after just one season and dive back into the free-agent market. And that is exactly what the 31-year-old, former No. 2 overall draft pick did.

While media observers at first assumed that the Red Sox would simply re-sign Bregman to a longer-term contract at a lower average annual value, Boston’s chief baseball officer has not yet made a move, at least not one that has been publicly reported, to bring Bregman back. With the Arizona Diamondbacks now expressing what appears to be serious interest in signing the Albuquerque native, the Red Sox’ hopes of re-acquiring Bregman are growing dim.

But according to a former major league Executive of the Year award winner, the Red Sox are now the likeliest team to bring in another free-agent infielder who could fill the gap left if Bregman is gone.

A More Likely Free-Agent Candidate Emerges

That the Red Sox should be shying away from Bregman comes as no surprise to analysts who have studied the tendencies of current Red Sox management. As MassLive Boston beat reporter Chris Cotillo pointed out last week, the Red Sox have been extremely reluctant to sign long-term contracts with players over the age of 30 — a category that includes Bregman.

Three-year deals appear to be Boston’s limit for players 30 or older, but Bregman is projected by ESPN to be in line for a five-year deal worth $160 million, or even a six-year contract at the same total value.

Bo Bichette Predicted to Land in Boston

The sports business site Spotrac projects a four-year term for Bregman at $112 million.

But according to former big league executive Jim Bowden, writing Tuesday for The Athletic, a 27-year-old free-agent infielder is most likely to land with the Red Sox.

That infielder is former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who, despite an MLB career spanning seven seasons, is only 27 years old.

An ‘Instant Fan Favorite’ at Fenway

According to Spotrac, Bichette would merit an eight-year contract valued at $186.4 million, or an average of $23.3 million per year. That would take Bichette through his age-35 season, the same age as Bregman at the end of a four-year deal.

“He’s led the AL in hits twice already and is a really focused, hard-working player who would become an instant fan favorite in Boston,” Bowden wrote Tuesday. “Fenway Park’s unusual dimensions — with the Green Monster in left and the short porch in right — would benefit Bichette, who uses the whole field well.”

While the Red Sox already have veteran Trevor Story occupying shortstop, according to Bowden, Bichette could also shift to third base, making him an ideal replacement for a departed Bregman.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin

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