Red Sox's 3-Time All-Star Predicted To Ditch Boston In Favor Of Mariners

Is this going to be a surprisingly big expenditure?

Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) runs to first base after hitting an rbi single against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Free agency for the Seattle Mariners is always a time of year that invokes strong emotions.

Mariners fans always seem to wish the team had done more when an offseason ends. But the front office is beholden to whatever budget ownership sets, and even after coming up one win shy of the World Series, that budget could remain a few ticks shy of their big-market competitors.

Accordingly, many have guessed that re-signing first baseman Josh Naylor would be the Mariners' biggest expenditure of the offseason. But is there a chance Seattle, emboldened by success, could aim higher?

Mariners predicted to sign Alex Bregman

Sep 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) fields grounders before the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

On Monday, MassLive's Chris Cotillo predicted that Seattle would sign Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, who is preparing to opt out of two years and $80 million on his current contract and will likely be looking for a five or six-year deal this time around.

"There are a bunch of contenders who might get silly with their offers to Bregman and the Red Sox aren’t going to write him a blank check, especially if teams looking to be pushed over the edge by a proven winner start talking about deals lasting six or seven years for a player who turns 32 in March," Cotillo wrote.

"Boston will try its best but clubs like the Mariners, (Detroit) Tigers, (Chicago) Cubs and others will be motivated to try to land Bregman, too."

It's more of a guess on Cotillo's part than a report that the Mariners are actually displaying motivation to go after Bregman.

To acquire the three-time All-Star, who would undoubtedly make a major impact on both sides of the ball, the Mariners would likely have to trade starting pitcher Luis Castillo, who is set to make $24 million this season. That should counterbalance most of the cost of Bregman, who will almost certainly cross the $30 million per year threshold.

Is signing Bregman a guarantee that Naylor walks, or is there a chance both things could happen? If it's the latter, Seattle's lineup next season could be downright scary, but it's also still so early that we have no idea what's actually going through president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto's mind.

More MLB: Mariners' Blockbuster Trade Likelihood May Be Increasing, Per Insider