Red Sox-Cardinals Trade Buzz Shows Why Boston Can't Whiff On Alex Bregman

Just sign Bregman...

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws out Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (3) (not pictured) at first base in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

We've heard a lot recently that if the Boston Red Sox miss on Alex Bregman, then Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is their Plan B.

The reality, though, is that Bichette is the type of free agent who won't sign with a team that treats him as their Plan B. There are "Plan B"-type targets out there, but hearing about them will assuredly make Red Sox fans a lot more nervous about the possibility of losing Bregman.

On Friday, the buzz about the Red Sox potentially trading for St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan resurfaced, and that should serve as a reminder that it's Bregman or bust for the Red Sox's offseason to go in the book as a success.

On Friday, as Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte reportedly came off the trade block, MLB.com's Brent Maguire positioned Donovan as the Red Sox's No. 1 trade alternative to retaining Bregman, and virtually the only alternative not named Bichette.

"With Marte out of the running, the Red Sox could link up yet again on a trade with the Cardinals for Brendan Donovan," wrote Maguire. "After acquiring Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate trades with the Cards, Boston could look to swing a deal for the soon-to-be 29-year-old Donovan."

No offense intended to Donovan, who is a nice player coming off a solid year in which he posted a .775 OPS. But his best year is basically on par with Bregman's worst year, and even after accounting for the loss of Bregman's leadership and winning track record, Donovan is also a worse fit for the lineup.

Another left-handed bat? A guy who hit 10 home runs this season and has never had more than 15? Thanks, but no thanks.

If the Red Sox allow the Cardinals to pilfer their farm system for a third and potentially most lucrative pass, rather than simply paying their own player what the market says he's worth, it's a PR disaster. And it's made even worse in the context of a market that has seemingly shrunk by the day as the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks have chosen other paths.

Anger would be at an all-time high, and no one could blame the insurgents.

More MLB: Alex Bregman-Diamondbacks Update Drops; What It Means For Red Sox