Alex Bregman, a key figure in the American League playoffs for the past decade, is leaving the Houston Astros and may be the missing piece for the Boston Red Sox.
Bregman, a two-time All-Star third baseman who played a pivotal role in two World Series victories, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox. The contract includes opt-out clauses after the first two seasons, according to an anonymous source familiar with the agreement. The deal has yet to be finalized.
Bregman’s departure marks a significant shift in the Astros’ dynasty, leaving second baseman Jose Altuve as the last remaining core player from their championship teams of 2017 and 2022. Altuve, who has signed two extensions with the Astros and is under contract through 2029, had even urged team owner Jim Crane to retain Bregman late in the season. This comes after the team lost shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder George Springer to free agency in previous years.
The Red Sox were patient and crafted an offer that Alex Bregman couldn’t resist, especially with spring training starting this week. Bregman will now reunite with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was the Astros’ bench coach in 2017. That year was Bregman’s first full season, during which the Astros won the World Series, before later being caught up in the sign-stealing controversy.
For the Red Sox, adding Bregman means bringing in one of baseball’s true winners, a player who had his peak season in 2019 with 41 home runs and an 8.9 WAR, yet continues to be a key contributor both on the field and in the clubhouse. Bregman has played 145 or more games in six of his seven full seasons, though last year he was limited to part-time designated hitter duties due to an elbow injury.
Bregman’s signing marks the kind of high-profile free-agent move the Red Sox have lacked since their 2018 World Series victory, a period where attempts to build a long-term contender made the team less appealing to free agents.
However, Bregman was in need of a new home, and with his $40 million average annual value, he will earn a considerably higher salary than the $26 million he would have received if he had accepted the Astros’ six-year, $156 million offer. He also declined a six-year deal worth over $170 million from the Detroit Tigers.
Despite battling an elbow injury in 2024, Bregman still managed to hit 26 home runs, although his on-base percentage fell to .315. The Astros, after a slow start, managed to secure a postseason berth for the eighth year in a row. However, their streak of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series came to an end, as their win total dropped from 106 in 2022 to 90 in 2023 and 88 in the following year.
While the Astros won the AL West, their lower win total forced them into the wild-card round, where they were swept in two games by the Detroit Tigers.
The Astros’ 2017 championship was overshadowed by a sign-stealing scandal that reportedly involved nearly all of the team’s position players. Altuve and Bregman became the public faces of the controversy, with both enduring boos from opposing fans ever since the scandal was revealed after the 2019 season.
Now, Bregman is with the Red Sox, where he’ll be expected to perform at the plate and help build a winning culture. For Bregman, this is nothing new, as he was a key part of Houston’s championship mindset throughout his career there.