Boston Red Sox
“I text him every day. We go back and forth.”
Alex Bregman isn’t currently employed by the Red Sox, but that isn’t stopping Alex Cora from chatting with him.
The Red Sox manager told the “Section 10” podcast that he’s been in contact with Bregman on a daily basis as he reiterated his desire to keep the All-Star third baseman in Boston.
“I text him every day. We go back and forth,” Cora said. “Obviously cannot go into details about free agency and all that. But he’s a guy that we really like and respect.
“What he did last year is what everybody thought he was gonna do and that was very simple. That’s why I kind of like, sat back and relaxed because there were so many people who were like, this and that. I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s real, man.’”
Cora and Bregman talking to each other frequently shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, considering that they’ve been friends since they were together with the Astros for a season in 2017. Cora was Houston’s bench coach that year, working with Bregman as he emerged as one of the game’s top third basemen.
However, Cora said in October that he felt like he didn’t need to essentially recruit Bregman to stay this offseason after making a noticeable effort to help the Red Sox land him in free agency. But some prognosticators and insiders have predicted that Boston won’t be able or willing to keep Bregman this offseason.
Cora, though, is remaining on the positive side of the spectrum, saying how good a fit Bregman was with the Red Sox this past year.
“The leadership part of it is real. The player is real. The defense is amazing. He’s a good dude,” Cora said. “He actually embraced the whole Boston thing, the Sam Adams commercial. That guy, he gets it. He’s obviously a game-changer. He had the right to opt out. But at the same time, we know he enjoyed playing in Boston and at Fenway.”
Bregman was arguably the Red Sox’ best hitter in 2025. He hit .273 with a .821 OPS, 18 homers, and 62 RBIs in 114 games, replacing Rafael Devers at third base. Bregman, who’ll turn 32 in March, had some struggles down the stretch of the season, though. He hit .187 in the final 27 games of the regular season, adding two home runs with a .581 OPS in that stretch after battling a quad injury earlier in the season.
Still, Bregman is widely viewed as one of the few best free agents available this offseason. He opted out of the two years and $80 million remaining on his contract with the Red Sox, with some predicting he could receive a six-year deal worth over $150 million in total value this offseason.
Beyond his play at the plate, Bregman had a noticeable presence in the Red Sox’ clubhouse. He was frequently seen chatting with rookies Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell throughout the year, with each of them giving Bregman kudos for his leadership and willingness to help.
The mix of Bregman with the young players in the Red Sox’ lineup was good enough to help them get into the postseason for the first time in four years. But as the Red Sox were eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the Yankees, Cora is hoping the Red Sox take the next step forward in 2026. He knows this offseason will be crucial in getting that done.
“I heard [Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow] two weeks ago in Vegas or whenever it was and I was like, ‘Let’s go! That’s my guy right there.’ He was very honest about the whole situation, what we need, and where we’re going,” Cora said. “Yeah, we played in October, but three games in October isn’t good enough. We’re the Boston Red Sox. It was a step in the right direction. I get it, but we only played three games. It felt like the playoffs lasted a month and a half, and that’s what we wanna do.”
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