The Boston Red Sox are fortunate to have one of the top third basemen in baseball right now in Alex Bregman but will that remain the case after the 2025 season wraps up?

Bregman has an opt-out in his contract after signing a three-year, $120 million deal with Boston ahead of the campaign. Even with an injury earlier in the season, Bregman has played well enough that it could make sense to go back to the open market and look for a long-term deal at just 31 years old.

Aug 31, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) rounds the bases to score on a two run home run by left fielder Jarren Duran (16) (not pictured) during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

That’s what could end up shaking up the American League East. With the way that Bregman has played for Boston, it would make sense for the Red Sox to try to keep him around for as long as possible. ESPN’s Jeff Passan shared a column about all of the early free agency information that he is hearing and unsurprisingly Bregman was a big topic. A nugget that stood out was the fact that Passan specifically mentioned the New York Yankees as a team that “might be willing” to splurge for Bregman, along with the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

“Boston recognizes what it would be losing were Bregman to embark elsewhere,” Passan said. “The excellent at-bats. The glove at third base. The relationships with Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell he forged during spring training. The attitude. The focus. The feeling that in this next incarnation of the Red Sox, he belongs somewhere in the middle.

“Complicating matters for the Red Sox, though, are the teams in need of better production at third that might be willing to spend for what Bregman provides. The Phillies. The Yankees. The Tigers. And it will take more than three years this time even though he’ll be going into his age-32 season. After one of the more lucrative pillow contracts ever, Bregman is bound to get the five-year-plus deal at an average annual value of $35 million-plus that eluded him last winter.”

The American League East is up there as one of the most competitive divisions in the sport. The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place right now at 81-59 but Boston and New York aren’t far behind at 78-63 and 77-62. The Bregman sweepstakes could shift the balance of power in the division based on who wins out. It’s obviously still early. Bregman hasn’t utilized the opt-out — because he can’t yet until after the season. But, keep an eye on this division once free agency opens up this winter.

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