The Boston Red Sox worked tirelessly over the last offseason to land superstar third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency. Ultimately, the Red Sox won the Bregman sweepstakes and brought him to Fenway Park, where he’s thrived.

But Bregman has an opt-out clause in his contract, and there’s a real possibility that he uses it in order to pursue a longer contract in free agency. Considering how well he’s playing, when healthy, this would make a lot of sense on Bregman’s part.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently revealed he expects Bregman to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, but he also suggested the Red Sox would be his first choice in free agency.

“Bregman, who is making $40 million this year and signed for two more years at that rate, will likely opt out of his contract and seek a longer-term deal,” Bowden wrote. “He missed time this season with a quad injury but has hit .299/.379/.542 in 327 plate appearances. It appears Boston would be his first choice in free agency, but he is an obvious fit with several other contending teams, including the Phillies, Yankees, Tigers, Dodgers, Mariners, and even the Mets.”

Bregman seems to be loving his time with the Red Sox, the Red Sox front office is surely loving having him in Boston. Since joining the team, he’s been the best player and looks to be a staple of the roster moving forward.

Considering Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell are already signed to team-friendly contract extensions, while Rafael Devers’ $300-plus million is off the books, the Red Sox shouldn’t run into an issue with re-signing Bregman.

As long as they want him back, the Red Sox should remain the favorites to sign him if he opts out of his current deal.