With the 2025 season behind us and the hot stove ready to burn, we’re taking a closer look at some of the most prominent players eligible for free agency.
Team: Boston Red Sox
Age (as of Opening Day 2026): 32
2025 stats: 114 games, .273/.360/.462, 18 HR, 62 RBIs, 64 R, 128 OPS+, 3.5 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs)
The deal, which made Bregman only the seventh player in baseball history to land an average annual value worth at least $40 million, included $60 million in deferred money and the ability to opt out after each year of the contract.
Not even nine months after he joined the Red Sox, Bregman is back on the open market.
That’s not to say his time in Boston is finished, as the Red Sox have interest in retaining the three-time All-Star. But with no qualifying offer attached to him this time around, Bregman may find some potential suitors more willing to engage in conversations.
Bregman was having an excellent season until a right quad strain derailed him in late May, sending him to the injured list for seven weeks. His numbers prior to the injury were far better than they were after he returned:
In 51 games through May 23: .299/.385/.553 (.938 OPS), 17 doubles, 11 HR, 35 RBIs in 226 plate appearances.
In 63 games from July 11 through the end of the season: .250/.338/.386 (.724 OPS), 11 doubles, seven HR, 27 RBIs in 269 plate appearances.
Was the first half of Bregman’s season a sign of what a team can expect from him when he’s healthy? Will he be able to find the long-term deal that evaded him last winter, or will he be forced to settle for another shorter-term, high-AAV deal?
Let’s take a look at how Bregman’s offseason might play out:
Bregman was a solid fit in Boston, where he reunited with manager Alex Cora, who was on the Astros’ coaching staff during the third baseman’s first full season in the Majors. Bregman seemed to enjoy his time with the Red Sox, serving as a solid veteran presence for Boston’s emerging young core, and the Sox should have plenty of money to spend after shedding Rafael Devers’ contract in a midseason trade. If Boston is set on spending big for a free agent, though, it might make more sense to bring in a big power bat (Pete Alonso?) and give Marcelo Mayer a try at third base.
Detroit was viewed as the frontrunner to land Bregman last offseason, but the Tigers’ offer — which topped out at six years and $171.5 million — wasn’t enough to land him. Manager A.J. Hinch — Bregman’s former Astros skipper — is a nice draw for the third baseman, and after the Tigers’ collapse in the AL Central this season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them get aggressive in free agency. Zach McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez and Colt Keith got most of the playing time at third base for Detroit, which had an AL-worst .628 OPS at the hot corner, making Bregman — or some other upgrade at the position — a glaring need.
The Phillies feel like a team in need of change, and with Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez among their free agents, change could certainly be in the cards. Third baseman Alec Bohm is one year away from free agency, and like the past offseason or two, his name figures to be popular on the trade market. If the Phillies don’t re-sign Schwarber, they could use that money to bring in Bregman, who would be an upgrade over Bohm at third base.
Seattle addressed its corner-infield deficiency at the Trade Deadline, acquiring both Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks in separate deals. Both players are free agents now, and while the Mariners would like to bring Naylor back on a new deal, Bregman could be an intriguing fit for Seattle at the hot corner. After all, the club was pondering the possibility of pursuing him ahead of last summer’s Trade Deadline had the Red Sox made him available, though a longer-term pact might not be as palatable for its budget.
The Cubs were in on Bregman last winter, offering him a four-year deal worth $130 million before he signed with Boston. Third base doesn’t seem to be a glaring need after Matt Shaw’s second-half improvement (11 HR, .839 OPS in 63 games after the break) and his strong defense (he was a Gold Glove Award finalist), but with Kyle Tucker potentially headed elsewhere, the Cubs should have some money to spend and could get creative.
Bregman’s potential fit with the Mets will depend on what happens with Alonso, who is also on the free-agent market for the second straight season. An Alonso return would make a Mets-Bregman match unlikely, but if Alonso signs elsewhere, Mark Vientos could move to first base, opening third base for Bregman. President of baseball operations David Stearns knows Bregman well, having been the Astros’ assistant GM when Houston selected Bregman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
“Bregman going into his age-32 season will likely pursue high-AAV deals with contenders and be willing to sacrifice length in a deal to accomplish that. He is still a highly productive player who can contribute in multiple ways for a championship-caliber club.”
Bregman’s two breakout seasons in 2018-19 were the type of years that get people talking about the Hall of Fame. But after posting fWARs of 7.9 and 8.3 in those seasons, respectively, Bregman has a combined fWAR of 20.9 over his past six years, averaging a touch under 3.5 per season during that stretch. Bregman still offers strong plate discipline and solid defense, but as he enters his age-32 season, potential suitors should temper their expectations that the player from 2018-19 will ever re-emerge.
After settling on his three-year, $120 million deal in February — a contract that included $60 million in deferrals and opt outs after each season — Bregman will be looking for a long-term deal this winter. At 32, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to get more than five or six years, though if he does, the AAV should push his total guarantee ahead of the deals signed by Matt Chapman (six years, $151 million) and Willy Adames (seven years, $182 million).
