Well, Alex Bregman finally got his bag. In fact, by the time his contract with the Cubs expires, he will have made $215 million across six years, including his lone season with the Red Sox in 2025. The Astros’ offer to him after the 2024 season was for six years and only $156 million.
I think it is fair to say that he made the right call, at least financially. Good for him.
I do wonder, though, whether the Red Sox will pivot to someone like Isaac Paredes, especially if their pursuit of Bo Bichette fails. They also possess several cost-controlled pitchers in a similar vein to Mike Burrows, whom Houston acquired from Pittsburgh earlier this offseason. Even with what now appears to be a surplus of arms, it may make sense for Dana Brown to explore whether Paredes can be leveraged via trade to further strengthen the pitching staff. But the impact of Paredes on the Astros’ lineup can’t be overstated, and a potential departure could exacerbate the same issues we witnessed last year following when he injured his hamstring in late July.
In other news…
- Kaleb Ort was claimed off waivers by the Yankees
- Framber Valdez was included in a trade package to the Orioles that would’ve brought back Zack Britton in 2017, until Baltimore got cold feet about Rogelio Armenteros‘ medicals (thank goodness)
- The Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Mets are the “three main teams” in the running for Kyle Tucker‘s services
- Right-hander Pierce Johnson is signing with the Reds
