New York acquired outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger — and $5 million of the 29-year-old’s salary — from Chicago, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Cody Poteet. Bellinger’s arrival in The Bronx follows the Yankees’ Max Fried signing, demonstrates New York’s determination to stay engaged, and poses a (Red Sox-associated) question.
Are the Yankees out on free-agent infielder Alex Bregman now?
Bregman was linked to six teams, including the New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Red Sox and Yankees, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Monday. The 30-year-old lasted nearly a decade in Houston, making two All-Star Games and helping the Astros win two World Series titles, however, Bregman’s return to the American League West isn’t a guarantee.
Hence, the door has been opened for Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to reunite Bregman and Red Sox skipper Alex Cora, who shared Houston’s dugout during its 2017 championship run.
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Since last season’s trade deadline, Breslow vocalized the franchise’s need for a right-handed bat. Not to mention, the Red Sox have already lost right-handed-hitting outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who led the team with 31 home runs and signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this month.
Bregman, a 2019 Silver Slugger Award recipient, fits the mold of a replacement. He belted 26 moonshots last season, is a career .375 hitter in 21 games at Fenway Park, has 99 playoff appearances under his belt — with 26 in the Fall Classic — and has a rapport with Cora. That covers all the essential boxes that need to be checked and then some, opening the lane for Breslow and the front office to follow up their offseason splash of acquiring All-Star pitcher Garret Crochet from the Chicago White Sox at MLB’s Winter Meetings in Dallas.
Regardless of how the Red Sox utilize franchise star Rafael Devers, either at third or first base, adding Bregman provides defensive depth, thus giving Cora nifty lineup versatility. Bregman earned a Gold Glove Award for his work in the hot corner last season but also has big league experience at second base and shortstop — and two games in left field.
New York, so far, is already on the hook for Fried’s eight-year, $218 million contract — the largest ever given to a left-handed pitcher — and $22.5 million of Bellinger’s salary next season, meaning interest in putting Bregman in pinstripes could fade.
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The Red Sox, on the other hand, could ensure that Bregman does make a West-to-East shift and calls Fenway Park his new home for the next few seasons.
