The Boston Red Sox season has not gone according to plan. The team is below .500 entering play on Wednesday and in fourth place in the American League East.
The team has already traded away Rafael Devers, but Craig Breslow remains adamant the team is not giving up on the season. By trading Devers, the team has more financial flexibility to pay Alex Bregman, who is reportedly expected to opt out of his three-year, $120 million deal after the season.
Bregman and his agent have noted they are open to discussing an extension before he has the opportunity to opt out. However, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden noted that Bregman could be traded if the Red Sox cannot secure an extension before the trade deadline. The Red Sox have the money to pay him, but they will get a sense of whether the two sides will be able to agree on something pretty early into negotiations.
Trading Bregman would essentially be giving up on the season. He is currently on the injured list, but was slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 home runs before his quad injury. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer proposed this trade that would send Bregman to the Detroit Tigers:
- Red Sox receive: RHP Alex Cobb and C/1B Josue Briceño (Tigers No. 4)
- Tigers receive: 3B Alex Bregman
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“Though the Tigers have risen to the top of the American League anyway, third base is one of several relative weaknesses in their everyday lineup,” wrote Rymer. “It has produced a .626 OPS and six homers.”
The Tigers are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball. Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibáñez have not been terrible at third base, but Bregman is a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger. The Tigers were a finalist for Bregman in the offseason. They have a chance to make a deep run in October, and a player like Bregman could be the difference.
More MLB: Phillies-Red Sox trade pitch brings Alex Bregman to Philadelphia
