Anonymous MLB Executive Believes Toronto Blue Jays Can Spend Big on Alex Bregman

The market for star free agent Alex Bregman has narrowed in recent weeks, but one club may be willing to outspend the other contenders.

The Houston Astros are no longer interested in bringing Bregman back, considering they signed first baseman Christian Walker and acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes in a trade with the Chicago Cubs last month. That leaves the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays as the leading suitors for Bregman's services, plus the Chicago Cubs as a late-breaking dark horse.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, however, one anonymous MLB executive believes that the Blue Jays will be "in a position to offer the most money" by the end of the Bregman sweepstakes, due to how desperate they are for a big-ticket addition.

Toronto tried to throw money at Juan Soto, Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Teoscar Hernández earlier this winter before striking out on all of them. And that doesn't even account for their failed pursuits of Shohei Ohtani and Matt Chapman last offseason.

The Blue Jays have first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Bo Bichette and starting pitcher Chris Bassitt slated to hit free agency in November. In order to convince their All-Stars that they are committed to building a winning team, Toronto may have to go out and land a big free agent, and Bregman is one of the few left on the market.

Adding someone like Bregman would also give the Blue Jays some insurance in case Guerrero and Bichette jump ship, giving them a face to build around in their next chapter.

Bregman hit .260 with 26 home runs, 75 RBI, a .768 OPS and 4.1 WAR in 2024. The 30-year-old finally won his first career Gold Glove after previously falling short his last three times as a finalist.

Between 2018 and 2019, Bregman hit . 291 with a .970 OPS, averaging 36 home runs, 44 doubles, 108 RBI, eight stolen bases and an 8.4 WAR in that short span. Over the last four seasons, though, he has hit .262 with a .795 OPS with an average of 22 home runs, 28 doubles, 80 RBI, two stolen bases and a 3.9 WAR per year.

The Astros offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million contract back in November, before ultimately moving on from the negotiations. Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, were supposedly looking for a seven-year, $200 million deal, which no team has come forward with thus far.

Maybe the Blue Jays will outbid the Red Sox, Tigers and Cubs, all of whom seem hesitant to give Bregman a long-term deal. They certainly have the money to do so, and their payroll commitments past 2025 are far from restrictive.

If Toronto does swoop in to sign Bregman, an infield of Bregman, Bichette, Guerrero and Andrés Giménez could be one of the most dangerous in the league. Add that to veteran slugger George Springer and Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho in the outfield, a handful of dependable starting pitchers and a new-look bullpen, and the Blue Jays might have enough talent to return to the playoffs in 2025.

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