The Boston Red Sox made waves by acquiring the services of star third baseman Alex Bregman over the offseason, but following a stellar start to his first year with the team, he suffered a quad injury on May 23 which has sidelined him ever since.
Now, there’s clarity on his impending return as manager Alex Cora says “there’s a good chance” Bregman could return to the lineup as soon as this weekend for a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Over his first 51 appearances for the Red Sox, Bregman tallied 59 hits, 35 RBIs and 11 home runs while posting a .299/.385/.553 slash line, accumulating the second-best OPS of his career at .938. His advanced metrics look equally impressive as he ranks 91st percentile in batting run value with a career-high 92.1 mph average exit velocity.
The two-time World Series champion quickly emerged as a fan favorite in New England and the Red Sox organization. However, the team has started to shift gears a bit which created some buzz in recent days regarding Bregman’s future with the franchise, especially as the trade deadline looms at the end of the month.
The 31-year-old originally signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox back in February, leaving the Astros after spending the first nine years of his career with Houston. The catch to the contract is that the multi-time All-Star can opt out after each season, leading to questions about whether he’s committed to the organization in the long term.
Boston seems to be embracing a bit of a youth movement following the trade which sent star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. While that relationship seemed to have tanked and ultimately caused the transaction, it’s still worth asking whether the Red Sox may explore moving Bregman as well once the trade deadline rolls around.
It does seem unlikely, but the situation remains worth monitoring as Boston seeks to ink an extension with the third baseman. Per The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, there’s a chance the team may look to move the three-time All-Star if the Red Sox are unable to reach an agreement with Bregman and his agent Scott Boras, who is notorious in MLB circles as a tough negotiator. While the veteran can certainly contribute to a playoff run for the 48-45 team, the logic of trading him for a return rather than potentially losing him for nothing in an opt-out scenario does make sense.
