MLB insider says Red Sox have made an ‘aggressive offer’ to keep Alex Bregman

Boston Red Sox

Another report indicated that other teams might be more aggressive in their pursuits for Bregman, though.

By Conor Roche

January 2, 2026 | 2:01 PM

2 minutes to read

The calendar has turned to 2026, and Alex Bregman still remains a free agent. But at least one insider believes Bregman will wind up re-signing with the Red Sox.

Boston reportedly made “an aggressive offer” to keep Bregman, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Friday.

“I think Alex Bregman is going to go back to the Red Sox,” Olney said on TSN’s “1st Up.” “They valued him last summer.”

While Olney believes Bregman will stay with the Red Sox, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have been the most aggressive teams in the Bregman sweepstakes. But Feinsand added that a “Red Sox reunion remains a possibility.”

The Cubs and Tigers have also been rumored among the teams trying to sign Bregman away from the Red Sox this offseason, Feinsand reported.

It’s unclear what exactly those teams are offering, though. Bregman is seeking a six-year contract in free agency as his market is “more robust” than when he was a free agent last offseason, The Athletic‘s Jen McCaffrey reported in December.

Bregman sought a similar deal last offseason and turned down arguably more aggressive offers to join the Red Sox. He reportedly turned down a six-year, $171.5 million contract offer from the Tigers, while the Astros reportedly gave Bregman a six-year, $156 million offer. Bregman ultimately signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox, which included opt-outs after the first and second seasons.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently projected that Bregman would get a five-year, $170 million deal or a six-year deal to help lower the average annual value. The Athletic projected that Bregman would get a six-year, $171 million deal entering the offseason.

As Bregman took a contract with a shorter term last offseason, this offseason could mark his final chance to get a major payday. Bregman will turn 32 in March, and while he was productive in 2025, he had some struggles in the final month of the season after missing time due to a quad injury. He hit .187 in the final 27 games of the regular season, adding two home runs with a .581 OPS in that stretch.

Still, Bregman was arguably the Red Sox’ top hitter in 2025 as he earned his third All-Star nod. He hit .273 with a .821 OPS, 18 homers, and 62 RBIs in 114 games, replacing Rafael Devers at third base.

Bregman’s leadership was also lauded by many around the organization in his first year in Boston as the Sox called up top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell in 2025.

“The leadership part of it is real. The player is real. The defense is amazing. He’s a good dude,” Cora told the “Section 10 Podcast” in November. “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.”