The Alex Bregman sweepstakes have come to an end with the free agent infielder signing a stunning, three-year contract worth $120 million with the Boston Red Sox.
Bregman, who had substantial offers from three other teams, including the Chicago Cubs, ultimately landed on a short-term deal with the Red Sox for the fourth-highest AAV out of any player in MLB. The three-year contract includes opt-outs after the first two seasons.
Alex Bregman’s three-year, $120 million deal with Boston includes deferred money, sources told ESPN. The $40 million salary is $10 million-plus more per year than others were offering. The Red Sox land the best free agent left on the market. First on the news was @ChandlerRome.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2025
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Cubs also offered Bregman $120 million, but it was over four years, coming in at $30 million per season or $10 million less per year than what the former Houston Astros third baseman agreed to with Boston.
Nightengale confirmed Matthew Trueblood's report from last week, when he wrote about the Cubs' proposed four-year offer to Bregman.
The Cubs offered 4 years, $120 million https://t.co/dLwAjNX3gp
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 13, 2025
The Detroit Tigers and Astros were also involved with Bregman until the end. Houston seemingly did not come off their six-year, $156 million bid, while the Tigers reportedly offered Bregman more than $170 million over six years.
The Tigers offered Bregman 6 years, $171m.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 13, 2025
Astros 6/156
His breakdown with the Red Sox: $40m in each of the next three seasons, with some of his salary deferred each year.
Opt-outs in the contract.
So, this now clears the way for Matt Shaw to start the 2025 season at third base, while the Nico Hoerner trade rumors can be put to rest.
Cubs fans, how are you feeling now that Bregman has made a decision? Should the Cubs have offered more? Are the Red Sox crazy for the $40 million AAV? Are you relieved now that Shaw gets more playing time and Hoerner won't be traded? Wondering how the Cubs will pivot now?
The Pinwheels And Ivy Podcast reacted live Wednesday night, when the Bregman signing broke. Let us know your thoughts on the move from Bregman and the Red Sox.
(Previous Update)
For the past couple of weeks we've been hearing non-stop how the Chicago Cubs have interest in signing free agent Alex Bregman. There haven't been many details reported on what the Cubs would be comfortable going to with the lone piece of info being that they would prefer to sign Bregman to a similar contract to the one Cody Bellinger agreed to with the team last offseason. Well, now the Cubs offer to Bregman has leaked.
We finally know what the Cubs have offered Bregman according to Matthew Trueblood, a Cubs writer for North Side Baseball. According to his sources, the Cubs have a four-year deal worth close to $30 per year on the table for Bregman. The contract includes opt-outs as well. What makes the potential offer even more interesting is the possibility that the Cubs can also cancel out one of the opt-outs with a mini-extension of their own.
Read more:https://t.co/VBKVlgma0P
— North Side Baseball (@northsidebaseb) February 5, 2025
Via North Side Baseball.
So, right now, the Cubs have a "creative, potentially unprecedented" contract offer out to Bregman, one source said. The deal is believed to be worth around $30 million annually over four years, with multiple opt-outs. Bregman could end up with the right to opt out after any of the first three seasons of the deal.
That could include a counter-option for the Cubs on one of the opt-outs, allowing them to void Bregman's option by extending him for an extra year or two—similar to the decision they'll have to make this fall about Shota Imanaga's oddly-structured deal.
It could also mean that the fourth year is not fully guaranteed, but a vesting option contingent on health or playing time, with a big chunk of the money in Year 3 (2027, the season that could be affected by a work stoppage anyway) pushed out to Year 4 and divided into a guaranteed buyout and a hefty vesting value. One way or another, there's likely to be a wrinkle.
Cubs Insider writer Jacob Zanolla also reported on Tuesday night that the Cubs have a four-year offer in for Bregman worth more than $100 million.
Sources have confirmed that the Cubs have offered Alex Bregman a four-year contract, with opt-outs, worth north of $100 million@MATrueblood with @northsidebaseb was first with the report
— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) February 5, 2025
Earlier on Tuesday Houston Astros GM Dana Brown made interesting comments regarding Bregman, repeatedly saying how the team had lost the third baseman and outfielder Kyle Tucker this offseason. When asked to clarify his comments on having lost Bregman, despite the infielder still being available, Brown said any discussions the team was having about him have remained internal. Brown later added that he nor Astros owner Jim Crane have had any conversations with Bregman's agent Scott Boras recently.
Speculation around the Cubs interest in Bregman started in the middle of January and since then it seems as though those rumors have certainly picked up steam. In the meantime, the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox have also been connected to Bregman along with the Cubs and Astros.
In recent days there has been talk about Bregman not having interest in signing with either Detroit or Toronto. The third baseman has reportedly been holding out for a $200 million contract this offseason, but so far no team has met his demands.
