Alex Bregman broke all hearts in Beantown after opting out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox to sign a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Based on the latest information around his camp, the star second baseman gave his former MLB club a warning, but it wasn’t taken too seriously.
One of the main storylines in MLB came to an end after Bregman agreed to terms with the Cubs. However, this dramatic spin-off is the gift that keeps on giving. Now, a report suggests Bregman and the Red Sox’s relationship went past the point of no return after Boston refused to make a financial effort for its star infielder.
As A.J. Pierzynski commented on Foul Territory, Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, grew frustrated as the Red Sox were unwilling to match the offers Bregman had received on the open market.
Instead of budging to the player and his camp’s demands, Boston believed Bregman and Boras were bluffing when they said they had better offers. As it turned out, they weren’t—and Boston learned that lesson in the worst way: by watching Bregman become the new jewel in the Cubs’ crown.
Alex Bregman at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Boston’s offer compared to Chicago’s
While the news of Bregman’s arrival in Chi-town took many Red Sox fans by surprise, the brass in Boston may have seen it coming, based on Boras’ unmet demands. According to insider Chris Cotillo, Boston offered Bregman a five-year deal worth $165 million.
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Certainly, it wasn’t as if the Red Sox were pinching pennies with the second baseman. However, with an extra $10 million on the table from the Cubs and tensions rising between Bregman’s camp and the front office, the 31-year-old opted to change addresses.
Boston did put its tendencies aside for Bregman
Although this report may frustrate fans in Boston, there is an argument to be made in the front office’s defense as well. For an organization typically reluctant to hand out long-term deals to MLB veterans in free agency, the Red Sox did put their preferences aside by offering Bregman a deal that would extend through his 36th birthday. Still, Boston’s unwillingness to exceed the budget ultimately cost the Red Sox their star.
All it’s not lost for Boston, though. The Red Sox reportedly recouped their investment in Rafael Devers after Bregman signed with the Cubs, so there may be a silver lining—though thin—to the situation.
