Red Sox nearly pivoted to Nolan Arenado before landing Alex Bregman

The Boston Red Sox were willing to trade for Nolan Arenado if Alex Bregman signed elsewhere.

Sep 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) walks on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Former Houston Astros slugger Alex Bregman agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on February 12.

The deal includes player opt-outs after the 2025 and 2026 seasons and was about $10 million more per year than other teams were offering Bregman, according to an X post from ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan.

Alex Bregman’s three-year, $120 million deal with Boston includes deferred money, sources told ESPN. The $40 million salary is $10 million-plus more per year than others were offering. The Red Sox land the best free agent left on the market. First on the news was @ChandlerRome.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2025

The New York Mets were among several teams who had expressed interest in Bregman at various points this offseason. However, it seemed that the only realistic possibility for Bregman to come to Queens was if Pete Alonso signed elsewhere, which would have prompted the Mets to move Mark Vientos to first base.

But Alonso re-signed with the Mets, keeping Vientos at third and causing the Mets to exit the Bregman sweepstakes.

Another third baseman whose name has been spoken often across this offseason is St. Louis Cardinals slugger Nolan Arenado. While Arenado is still under contract, the Cardinals have been actively trying to trade him to help kickstart their rebuild.

Read More: Mets previous free agent target Alex Bregman signs massive contract with Red Sox

Because of this, Arenado and Bregman were the two best third basemen who could potentially be joining new teams this offseason. And according to a report from Pat Ragazzo of Mets on SI, the Red Sox weren't prepared to come up empty-handed without one or the other.

"Sources: Red Sox were prepared to pivot to a Nolan Arenado trade if they couldn’t land Alex Bregman in free agency

"Arenado’s chances of being dealt have seemingly decreased with BOS signing Bregman," Ragazzo wrote with a February 13 X post.

Sources: Red Sox were prepared to pivot to a Nolan Arenado trade if they couldn’t land Alex Bregman in free agency

Arenado’s chances of being dealt have seemingly decreased with BOS signing Bregman

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) February 13, 2025

With Boston no longer being an option for Arenado, it seems that teams like the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, or Houston Astros (all of whom showed interest in signing Bregman) have now become his most likely trade destinations.

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