Alex Bregman's Comments Highlight Red Sox Negotiating Mistake

If you're a Boston Red Sox fan, you may want to look away.

Three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman was officially unveiled as the newest member of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon.

Alex Bregman puts on his @Cubs jersey for the first time! 🐻 https://t.co/mjnPqekhst pic.twitter.com/dhs7oxigPU
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 15, 2026

Who could've seen this one coming? When the offseason kicked off and over the last few months, while rumors spread about third baseman and Boston's competition for his services, the Red Sox always seemed like the favorite to land him. Boston said all of the right things publicly and Bregman made it clear down the stretch in 2025 that he loved the city and organization. But baseball is a business and Boston lost him.

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Reports have surfaced since Bregman opted to join the Cubs about the behind-the-scenes details of the negotiations. To sum up, the Cubs got Bregman on a five-year, $175 deal, including deferrals, with a no-trade clause. Boston reportedly offered a $165 million deal with a worse deferral payout schedule and didn't include a no-trade clause. The idea of specifically not including a no-trade clause seemed to be a sticking point and while speaking to the media on Thursday, Bregman spoke about how it was important for him to find a team that "offered stability" and cared about the things he cared about.

The Red Sox should've offered a no-trade clause

"Well, I think I was -- obviously in free agency -- you get to listen to the team's needs and at the beginning of free agency, I think it was expressed to me how much the (Cubs) cared (and) how much the Cubs valued what I cared about," Bregman said. "I'm looking forward to being here and winning baseball games."

Bregman was asked specifically how the Cubs' no-trade clause in the deal impacted his decision, which was a reported sticking point for Boston.

"I feel like, like you said, being able to be in a place that offered stability and a place that showed how much they cared about what was important to me was super important to myself (and) my family," Bregman said. "I have a young family. We can't wait to raise our kids here in Chicago."

Bregman and his wife, Reagan, have two young children. In October, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo shared a story featuring a conversation with the third baseman in which he openly spoke about loving playing in Boston and being open to hearing "anything" from the team and also acknowledging that it was important for him to find a deal that could allow him to finish his career in one place.

From his press conference on Thursday, it's clear how important that was. Chicago gave him stability and a guarantee that he wouldn't be traded out of the blue and uproot his family. Boston did not. And coming off a season in which the club traded seemingly the face of the franchise, it's no surprise someone could be a bit wary without a no-trade clause.

Boston responded well by signing Ranger Suárez to a five-year deal, but it's hard not to wonder if things would've been different if the Red Sox just given him a no-trade clause.

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