The Boston Red Sox made the Rafael Devers trade this season with the vision of using the money saved to keep Alex Bregman long-term. Now, just a few months out from MLB free agency, Boston faces a scenario where Bregman and Trevor Story could both hit the open market.
Robert Murray of Fansided and Jeff Passan of ESPN shared this week that Bregman is widely expected to turn down the player option on his contract this winter, turning down the remaining two years of his deal. Once that happens, he'll immediately become the most coveted third baseman in MLB free agency.
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Alex Bregman stats : .281/.364/.485, .849 OPS, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 25 doubles, 101 hits, 59-39 K-BB, 3 triples in 359 at-bats
Passan already mentioned a few of the clubs that could potentially pursue Bregman this winter. Among them, the Philadelphia Phillies , Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees all have the deep pockets to afford to get into a bidding war with Boston. Furthermore, all three of those teams also offer a shot at World Series contention.
As for the cost to sign Bregman, the expectation is that the All-Star third baseman will receive the five-year deal he wants this offseason. It means signing him, ahead of his age-32 season, to a deal that will pay him a $35-plus million average annual value through his age-36 campaign. Notably, though, Murray does predict that Bregman will ultimately re-sign with the Red Sox.
Alex Bregman contract ( Spotrac ):$40 million team option for 2026 ($25 million payroll salary)
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One thing that will influence how much money Boston has to spend this offseason is Story's contract decisions. Turning 33 years old in November, Story entered play on Friday with a .742 OPS, 23 home runs and 88 RBI. It's by far his most productive season since joining the club in 2022.
Trevor Story contract ( Spotrac ):$25 million player option (2026), $25 million salary in 2027
Right now, Passan believes that Story will exercise his opt-in to play out the final two years of his deal with Boston. If that's the case, he's on the Red Sox payroll for the next two seasons before the front office could decline the $25 million club option for 2028.
In all likelihood, the Red Sox lineup in 2026 will have Story at shortstop with Bregman playing third base. It'll cost the team more than $55 million per season for the two players combined, likely limiting their ability to land an upgrade at first base this winter, but it's better than losing Bregman a year after signing him.
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