The Boston Red Sox have had an active offseason on the pitching side.
They pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox to acquire All-Star ace Garrett Crochet. They also signed Walker Buehler to a one-year deal and Patrick Sandoval to a two-year contract, as he’s coming back in the second half of 2025 from Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox also signed seven-time All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman to add a high-leverage arm in their bullpen.
However, they’ve been quiet on the offensive side. The Red Sox made an offer to Juan Soto, who ended up going to the New York Mets for $765 million. They saw outfielder Tyler O’Neill leave in free agency to American League East rival Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox have been linked to other star players like Pete Alonso and Teoscar Hernandez (who re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers), but one top MLB insider warns Boston about playing chicken with this top free agent.
MLB insider states Boston Red Sox reluctant ‘to spend big’
The Red Sox have had two-time All-Star Alex Bregman on their radar all offseason but have yet to pull the trigger to bring him to Fenway.
The Athletic’s MLB insider Ken Rosenthal questioned if Boston is unnecessarily playing chicken with Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras.
“The Boston Red Sox’s seeming resistance to Alex Bregman makes sense only if the team is playing a game of chicken with agent Scott Boras, believing Bregman won’t go to Toronto and the Detroit Tigers won’t pay him,” Rosenthal wrote.
Rosenthal forewarns that this could backfire as a mystery team could swoop in and sign Bregman, similar to how the Arizona Diamondbacks snagged Corbin Burnes.
The MLB insider also touched on the fact that the Red Sox are reluctant “to spend big” on free agents and are “adhering to the same type of rigid thinking that cost them” superstar Mookie Betts.
“If the Sox are playing a game of chicken with Boras, they had better win. If their interest in Bregman is muted, they had better have a good reason. And if and when Fenway Fest turns into Frustration Fest, they will have only themselves to blame,” noted Rosenthal.
Bregman reportedly turned down a six-year, $156 million offer to return to the Houston Astros. The team then pivoted and acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker trade and signed first baseman Christian Walker.
With Rafael Devers already locked in at third base, Bregman would most likely play second for the Red Sox.
Boston finished a disappointing 81-81 last season and will be looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Related:Â 10 Worst Boston Red Sox Free-Agent Contracts Of All-Time, Including Several All-Stars