The Boston Red Sox still haven’t landed a top-tier piece to bolster the offense yet this offseason.
Speculation and rumors have been running rampant all offseason to this point, but there isn’t anything to show for them yet on offense for Boston, yet. The Red Sox’s starting rotation is in a fantastic spot right now, the bullpen has added a key piece, but there’s more work to do in the lineup.
Because of this, the Red Sox have been tied to a handful of options to help balance the lineup. Alex Bregman’s name continuously has been mentioned. He’s a two-time All-Star, World Series champion, and would give the team exactly what it needs from the right side of the plate. There would be defensive question marks, but there has been plenty of speculation about him moving to second base.
The Red Sox have plenty of money to spend, a real need for his talents, and clear ties to him. They aren’t the only team linked to him, though. The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers have been the other teams mentioned the most with him,
ESPN’s Buster Olney gave the latest update on his sweepstakes and it may not be great for Boston. Olney hinted that the Blue Jays could end up offering the most money for his services.
“The perception from some of the teams involved is that Scott Boras, who represents Bregman, might simply be waiting for someone to get closer to the financial terms they wanted — at a time when some execs think Bregman’s market has been largely defined,” Olney said. “The (San Francisco Giants) signed one of his peers, Matt Chapman, to a six-year, $156 million deal, and that is just about what the Astros offered.
“Now the Astros have moved on and the Red Sox, Tigers, and Blue Jays all have varying degrees of interest. One of the execs speculates that in the end, the Jays are in a position to offer the most money, given their level of desperation. Now Bregman has choices to make.”
The Red Sox certainly could use him and it would be tough if they were to lose his sweepstakes to a division rival. If Boston wants him as much as reports seem to hint it does, it should stop waiting around.
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