BOSTON – Whispers from the hallowed halls of Fenway Park have turned into a low rumble, the kind that echoes through the Green Monster’s shadow and sends shivers down the spines of Yankees fans. It’s late November 2025, and the Boston Red Sox are in the thick of their offseason chess game, plotting moves that could redefine the AL East for years to come. At the center of it all? Third base – or more precisely, the gaping void left by Alex Bregman’s impending departure. The three-time All-Star, who inked a three-year, $120 million pact with Boston last winter only to opt out after a solid if injury-marred 2025, is testing free agency waters once more. His .273 average, 18 homers, and 3.5 WAR in 114 games were a welcome tonic for a lineup starved for right-handed pop, but Bregman’s eyes are wandering toward a long-term deal closer to the $150 million mark he once chased in Houston.