How Red Sox Could Sign Blue Jays Star Instead Of Alex Bregman

We've heard a lot of late that the Boston Red Sox's first choice in free agency is Alex Bregman, but that right behind him sits Bo Bichette.

Bichette, the Toronto Blue Jays' longtime star shortstop, is four years younger than Bregman and might well be the better hitter moving forward. But younger players demand longer contracts, and while Bregman is settled in as a good-fielding third baseman, Bichette seems primed to switch to second base after seven years of mediocre shortstop defense.

What hasn't been entirely clear to this point is what events would have to coincide for Bichette, not Bregman, to wind up wearing a Red Sox uniform in the new year. Perhaps that scenario, even if it's not particularly likely, is beginning to make itself clear.

Red Sox's scenario for landing Bichette looks like...

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On Wednesday, in the process of reporting on the Red Sox's "aggressive" offer to Bregman, The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey described a scenario in which the Red Sox could preemptively strike on Bichette.

"If Bregman holds out, the Red Sox could pivot to Bichette to fill their hole at second base," McCaffrey wrote.

"Bichette, 28 and four years younger than Bregman, is projected by The Athletic to sign for eight years, $212 million. Though Bichette’s projected deal is lengthy, the Red Sox may be more comfortable offering a longer deal to a younger player."

The preemptive strike is one pathway, but this one might be more realistic: Say the Blue Jays choose Kyle Tucker over bringing back Bichette, while the Chicago Cubs (or Arizona Diamondbacks, who feel less likely at this point) land Bregman out of nowhere.

If Bichette were the biggest name left on the position player market and the Red Sox were caught holding the phone receiver in their hands at that point, wouldn't Bichette fit best in Boston? With Toronto and Chicago out of the picture, the most realistic remaining suitors for Bichette outside of the Red Sox might be the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Okay, so the Dodgers are a threat, and perhaps there's a scenario on the table in which the Red Sox get nobody.

What's important is that the Red Sox seem far more committed to Bregman at this point, but there does seem to be at least a marginal chance they get Bichette instead.

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