Alex Bregman was a free agent for over two months after opting out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox in early November. The Red Sox had plenty of time and chances to re-sign him, but ultimately lost out to the Chicago Cubs.
On Monday’s episode of “Foul Territory,” former Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski examined Bregman’s free agency timeline and how he got away.
Pierzynski explained that Boston “made an offer to Alex Bregman early in the offseason.” He did not say what the offer was, but he said Bregman’s camp felt it was too low and “it made Alex a little bit mad.”
The Red Sox apparently didn’t budge, however, essentially telling Bregman to take it or leave it.
According to Pierzynski, Boston initially didn’t believe that Bregman had a higher offer elsewhere. By the time the Red Sox upped their offer to five years and $165 million, it was too late. Not only did Bregman feel disrespected by Boston, but he also had a better offer from the Cubs, which included more money, a shorter deferral timeline and a full no-trade clause.
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Ultimately, Pierzynski believes the Red Sox were not flexible enough early in their negotiating window with Bregman when they had their best shot with him. Instead, they played hardball with him and let his free agency drag out too long, giving Chicago a chance to swoop in with a better offer.
“The Red Sox literally would not move and would not budge and really wouldn’t negotiate until it was too late,” Pierzynski said.
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Now Bregman is gone, along with other top free agents like Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber. Craig Breslow still has time to pivot to someone like Bo Bichette or Eugenio Suarez, but he needs to be decisive and aggressive if he wants to find a suitable replacement for Bregman before the season starts.
Featured image via Tim Heitman/Imagn Images
