After one solid but unspectacular year with the Boston Red Sox, third baseman Alex Bregman is set to opt out of his contract and become a free agent again, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday.
Bregman arrived in Boston on three-year, $120 million deal in February, but the pact gave him the right to opt out after each of the first two seasons.
While Bregman could return to the Red Sox with a revised contract, multiple other clubs reportedly will have interest in speaking with him this winter. MLB.com listed the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners as possible suitors, and the New York Post reported that the Kansas City Royals also could be in the mix.
Agent Scott Boras told The Boston Globe in June that Bregman was open “to any conversation” to re-up his deal.
“Any player who plays well somewhere, it’s something that’s important for the team and important for the player. It’s an additive,” Boras said.
Bregman, 31, earned his third career All-Star appearance this year and finished the year batting .273 with a .360 on-base percentage, a .462 slugging percentage, 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games. He was sidelined from late May to mid-July due to a strained right quadriceps.
The Red Sox doubled down on their commitment to Bregman being their third baseman when they traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on June 15. Devers was Boston’s incumbent third baseman before the arrival of Bregman, who won a Gold Glove in 2024.
Devers complained when moved to designated hitter before the start of the season, and he was even more vocal in his opposition when the club asked if he would be willing to play first base after Triston Casas got hurt. The trade soon followed.
Bregman was a two-time World Series champion while playing for the Houston Astros from 2016-24. In 10 major league seasons (1,225 games), he has a .272/.365/.481 batting line with 209 home runs and 725 RBIs.
