Red Sox Make Small Roster Move To Create Room For Alex Bregman

The Red Sox officially announced the Alex Bregman signing Saturday.

Bregman, who inked a three-year contract with Boston that reportedly includes a pair of opt-outs, will wear jersey No. 2, previously donned by Red Sox legends Jerry Remy and Xander Bogaerts.

The Red Sox needed to do a little housekeeping to facilitate the move, though, as they had a full 40-man roster before signing Bregman.

To make room for Bregman, the Red Sox placed left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day injured list.

This isn’t surprising, by any means, as Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery last June and already was expected to miss the first half of 2025. It’s simply worth noting while plotting Boston’s path forward, this season and beyond.

Sandoval, who signed a two-year contract with Boston in December, spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 4.01 ERA across 107 career appearances (100 starts). He had a 5.08 ERA in 16 starts (79 2/3 innings) in 2024 before undergoing surgery, but his FIP (3.87) suggests he pitched better than that number indicates, and his bat-missing ability could be an asset down the stretch in 2025 and/or throughout 2026.

The Red Sox will host a press conference Sunday to introduce Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion in nine seasons with the Houston Astros. NESN will air the press conference live at 8:30 a.m. ET.