Bregman’s Market Is Moving, And the Red Sox Might Be Falling Behind

It’s a day that ends in “y,” so we’re here writing, yet again, about the free agency of third baseman Alex Bregman.

This latest update comes from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com and MLB Network, who late Thursday night published his column entitled “Where things stand with top 6 free agents.”

Included in that list, of course, was the two-time World Series champion.

Here’s what Feinsand wrote about Bregman:

“Bregman’s market has seemingly included as many as a half-dozen teams, though none have been aggressive enough to give him the long-term deal he’s been seeking.

“The Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Red Sox and Tigers have been connected to him throughout the offseason.

“Detroit made a strong bid to sign Bregman last winter, before he inked a three-year, $120 million deal (half of which was deferred) with the Red Sox, a contract he opted out of after the 2025 season. The Tigers’ offer last offseason was for six years and $171.5 million with some deferred money, though Detroit doesn’t appear to be in the same range this winter.

“Sources believe the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks may be the two most aggressive clubs in the hunt for Bregman, though a Red Sox reunion remains a possibility.”

If you’re a Red Sox fan, this isn’t what you wanted to read just one day removed from New Year’s Day.

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With the Red Sox being tossed in there as a “possibility,” that sounds like a pecking order is forming and Boston is falling into place in the No. 3 position.

As I wrote on New Year’s Eve, re-signing Bregman was the third-most important New Year’s Resolution, in my mind, for this team heading into 2026. And if we’re being honest, bringing Bregman back aboard also plays a huge factor into New England meeting the criteria necessary for completing resolution No. 1 - “Create Depth to Combat Inevitable Injuries Down the Stretch.”

Having Bregman as a starter at third base rounds the entire roster into form. When you’re taking an assumed starter/team leader out of the mix, you go from worrying about depth to worrying about talent on the roster overall.

…not great!

The two teams Feinsand listed as, in essence, ahead of Boston were not surprising, but have to remain annoying to Red Sox Nation.

Arizona is out here publicly shopping Ketel Marte, their best player, yet is also in the mix to sign Bregman? How does that make sense? Either you’re in the mode of looking to rebuild/retool, or you’re not. For a team that doesn’t even have a clear vision for what it is to be in front of you have to strike a nerve.

Toronto, who is coming off a loss in maybe the greatest Game 7 in World Series history, has had their foot on the gas all offseason, taking big swings in the free agent market with signings like Dylan Cease (7 years, $210 million) and Tyler Rogers (3 years, $37 million). Add in Bregman to that mix, and that makes an already home run of an offseason a true grand slam.

For a team that needs to get this Bregman deal done to save face after a hot stove season of public swings and misses on big name bats like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, Feinsand’s latest from Thursday night is a really bad sign about what’s to come in the next few weeks.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.