New Report Cites Red Sox Would’ve Retained Alex Bregman If This Was Included In Offer

Alex Bregman reportedly sought assurances he would not be traded by the Red Sox and Boston was unwilling to make them.

It was a major factor in Bregman departing Boston for a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.

“Bregman didn’t want to risk the Sox ownership shifting lanes again and hiring an executive who saw him as trade chip,” Abraham wrote in a story published Tuesday morning. “He was prepared to accept five years and $165 million until the team balked at the no-trade clause and insisted on deferred payments that reduced the present-day value of the contract.

“Had the Sox granted him no-trade protection and negotiated more favorable deferrals, Bregman would still be with the team, according to a source familiar with the process. Instead he was told this was the team’s final offer.”

Bregman reportedly received a full no-trade clause with $75 million in deferrals from the Cubs.

The Red Sox offered Bregman five years and $165 million, including a hefty number in deferrals, according to Abraham and multiple other reports.