Actress Mae West once said, “Flattery will get you everywhere.” The Boston Red Sox hope that is the case in their recruiting efforts for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
According to Bob Nightengale from USA Today, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was “effusive” in his praise of Bregman. While Cora would need to be careful with any statements, he does have a connection with Bregman due to his time as a coach with the Astros.
Cora’s statements may be part of the Red Sox recruiting pitch. Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that the Red Sox may prioritize Bregman now that Soto signed with the Mets.
Bregman overcame a slow start to put together a solid season for the Astros in 2024. He posted a .260/.315/.453 batting line in his 634 plate appearances, hitting 26 homers and 30 doubles. Bregman continued his excellent defense at third as he won his first career Gold Glove Award.
Bregman makes sense from a baseball standpoint. The Red Sox lineup is filled with left-handed hitters, with first baseman Triston Casas, third baseman Rafael Devers, outfielders Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu and designated hitter Masataka Yoshida all batting from the left side. Bregman would help balance the middle of the Red Sox lineup.
The question is where he would play. Devers is a three-time All-Star at third. However, Devers has struggled defensively at the hot corner, leading the AL in errors at third every year since he became a regular in 2018. Sean McAdam from MassLive.com reported that the Red Sox were considering moving Devers off of third depending on trades or free-agent signings. Meanwhile, Nightengale had reported at the start of the offseason that Bregman would be open to moving to second. The Red Sox will find a way to get him in the lineup.