Alex Bregman had signed with the Boston Red Sox to a 3-year deal worth $120M guaranteed and has not looked back since. Since his signing back on February 15th, many questions have been lingering around Fenway South: Where will he play? Will he play third base? Will he play second? Maybe he will go back to his college days and play shortstop while moving Trevor Story to second? The possibilities are endless. While the Red Sox management (paging Alex Cora) is trying to figure out where to put him on the field, it seemingly hasn’t fazed him.
Becoming a Leader
According to Astros’ manager Joe Espada, he was the most prominent leader in that clubhouse. He’s proven that he’s shown the love of the game in more ways than one. Since he was called up as a prospect in 2016, he’s won two World Series rings (2017 & 2022) and wants more on his resume. Talking about what he does off the field is another thing. He always leads by example, showing teammates how hard he works and inspiring them to work just as much, and he takes the time to get to know players as well. Winning championships and holding a legacy as one of the better defensive third basemen in this era has more than enough length to prove his leadership skills behind the scenes and in the clubhouse.
Alex Bregman Eyes the Future
Before he signed with the Red Sox, one of the first things he wanted to know about the club was their mission for the future, and the loaded farm system led by the “Big 3.” Alex Cora stated, “He’s doing this because this is who he is. I love the fact that he does that.” Alex has shown previously in Houston that he wants to get to know everybody on the team, and this is what a true leader is, and that’s what the Red Sox have indeed lacked for a while now. It’s been really since J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Christian Vazquez went to different teams in 2022 that there’s been a true leader.
A Bus Ride for Alex Bregman
The team is littered with promising young guys, but they lack a clubhouse leader. Bregman is proving his case as one and is carrying the load big time. His first act was going on the bus with the team’s top prospects, Roman Anthony (#1) and Marcelo Mayer (#3), who have gained good friendships over the years, along with #2 prospect Kristian Campbell.
Alex Bregman took a trip down memory lane, hopping aboard a bus with some top #RedSox prospects for a rare Spring Training road trip: https://t.co/IGZx3o9Ood pic.twitter.com/qrhEx4RbUu
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) March 3, 2025
For context, usually, veteran players stay home when the team plays on the road in Spring Training, given the 90-minute difference between Spring Training Fields in Florida. It also gives young players the true spotlight to showcase their talents. The two noticed this and started messing with Bregman about it. But Alex Bregman didn’t mind, he was rather excited to talk with the future of the Red Sox organization. He comes with them on the bus for a road trip. This isn’t the first time they’ve hung out together, as Bregman tends to have meals with the three off the field as well, however, he didn’t have to go to this road trip and could have easily declined. Being the leader that he is, he decided to take the time to go with them and DH for the road game against the Baltimore Orioles on March 3rd.
Will Devers Budge?
The infamous press conference comes to mind when discussing the team’s leadership. At first, Devers was seemingly the face of the franchise, the starting third baseman, and the team leader in the clubhouse. However, now that Bregman is on the team, Devers has previously reported that third base was his position when asked during a spring training interview.
Lot of people weighing in on where Rafael Devers should play this year. Including Rafael Devers. @NESN
pic.twitter.com/nzdsr4zj5Q— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) February 17, 2025
He’s previously stated that he wants to be a “positive influence to the younger guys”, but so far he’s taken a step back. Looking at the surface, yes, Raffy is still only 28, but he still can be a “veteran” influence on an incredibly young team. Just because another person is in the locker room and is hanging out with players doesn’t mean he can’t do the same. It’s not just his comments that are giving Sox Nation a double-take, but his actions on the field as well.
Questions Linger on Defense
While he has allegedly been training in Florida since mid-January, Bregman’s defensive prowess is incredibly superior to his. He needed to slim down if he wanted to succeed at third base. That opportunity was this offseason, along with many others, but it hasn’t happened. Now, if he were to be willing to move and become a DH full-time, then it would help the Red Sox be more developed in terms of defense, as Bregman would be the starting third baseman. Regardless of his comments, Cora stated that he’ll be doing what’s best for the team, and reading between the lines, Devers will most likely be starting DH and alternating at third base between him and Bregman.
As for who the leader of the clubhouse is, Alex Bregman is the true leader and has been putting himself out there to hang out and get to know these young players. Devers says he needs to “get used” to being an older guy and a leader in the clubhouse, and he still has a long way to go. Surely, Bregman won’t have an issue wherever he plays, as long as the team does well. As for being a leader, that’s all you can ask for.
