Boston Red Sox
“Any time you are active in trying to bring a player in, it’s disappointing to lose out.”
After just one season in Boston, Alex Bregman is heading to Wrigleyville.
The Red Sox were unable to see through one of their top offseason priorities, as the veteran third baseman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs Saturday night.
Bregman’s departure puts a serious wrench in Boston’s offseason plans, with Bregman serving as one of the Red Sox’ leaders during a 2025 season where the franchise punched its ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Beyond Bregman’s leadership as a two-time World Series champion, his solid glove at third base and pop at the plate as a right-handed hitter offered up plenty of value to the Red Sox, who now have a glaring vacancy both in the lineup and in the infield with less than a month before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Speaking in an email interview with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on Sunday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow offered his reaction to Bregman leaving Boston after just one season.
“Any time you are active in trying to bring a player in, it’s disappointing to lose out,” Breslow told Cotillo. “We do this job because we are competitive and we want to deliver a championship to our fans, and falling short in a pursuit is an obstacle to that.”
Breslow was candid when asked about the impact Bregman had during his one lone season with Boston.
Beyond batting .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI over 114 games in 2025, Bregman stood as a valuable resource in a clubhouse rife with plenty of younger players like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.
“I am not going to gloss over the impact that Alex had on our season,” Breslow told Cotillo. “He is a great player with a strong leadership presence in our clubhouse. But this job requires balancing long and short term interests and making the best decisions for the organization, difficult as they be. It means losing out on good players sometimes.
“However, while we will enter the ’26 season with different personnel, there will be no less resolve to compete for the division and make a deep post season run. I believe in the group we have while we keep working to find ways to add to it. Our goal is to deliver to our fans, the season that they deserve.”
It remains to be seen how Boston will pivot moving forward. Several other top free-agent targets who could have provided power at the plate like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso have already signed, while Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte is reportedly no longer being entertained in trade talks.
The Red Sox could set their sights on right-handed slugger Bo Bichette, who is only 27 and is looking to cash in on a hefty new contract. But, the infielder will also have plenty of suitors, with the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly set to meet with the former Blue Jays star this week.
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