Why These Two Players Could Be Holding Up Alex Bregman Decision

A note to Boston Red Sox fans hoping to see Alex Bregman’s situation sorted out before Christmas: don’t get too excited.

It’s been over six weeks since Bregman opted out of the remaining two years and $80 million on his deal with the Red Sox, but Alex remains unsigned by Boston or anyone else.

There have been some surprising plot twists in the ongoing Bregman free agency saga. It was widely believed for awhile that Boston’s main competition for Bregman were the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.

Recent reports have suggested, however that the Tigers aren’t that interested in Alex anymore (and the Cubs might not be either)! Some pundits still believe that Chicago is the team most likely to give Bregman the long-term deal he desires.

There are more twists and turns. The Arizona Diamondbacks emerged as a new, mysterious suitor this past week, and the buzz sounds real.

Following the Arizona news, reports surfaced that Bregman and his super-agent Scott Boras are seeking a six-year contract, locking Alex in with his next team until he’s 37 years old.

Now, it seems like we’re not going to see movement on the Bregman front anytime soon, with MLB insider Francys Romero reporting on Friday that the infield market is at a standstill until the 2026 fates of Ketel Marte and Brendan Donovan are sealed.

Several industry sources believe the infield market is currently on hold as teams wait to see what happens with Ketel Marte or Brendan Donovan.

However, nothing imminent suggests that Marte, at least, will be traded beyond the exploratory approaches made by several teams.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 19, 2025

The Red Sox have been linked to Marte a lot recently, mostly as a guy to turn to if they don’t re-sign Bregman.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal turned heads this week when he suggested that Arizona might actually end up acquiring Bregman without trading Marte, but this would be shocking.

It’s been a weird offseason. Red Sox fans assumed the Bregman stuff would have been sorted out by now. Now it looks like it probably won’t be before January.

Bregman, a three-time All-Star, was limited to 114 games in 2025 due to a quadriceps injury, He posted a .273/ .360/ .462 slash line with 18 home runs, 62 RBI and 3.5 WAR. He earned a ton praise for his leadership in Boston’s clubhouse from the moment he signed with the Red Sox.

Over his 10-year career, all with the Houston Astros before joining Boston in 2025, Bregman has compiled a .272 batting average, 209 home runs and 1,250 hits. A key figure in Houston’s two World Series titles, he remains a premier infielder entering the 2026 MLB season.