Red Sox Must Act Fast, Alex Bregman Eyeing AL Contender

The Boston Red Sox exited the winter meetings without landing one of the premier sluggers available on the open market.

Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber reportedly are both off the market, and Boston struck out. Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported that Boston's offer to Alonso was "fewer years and significantly less money." Boston also reportedly didn't make Schwarber a formal offer.

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The Red Sox need to act

Now, all eyes turn to third baseman Alex Bregman. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed the sweepstakes. If Bregman is the team's priority, as reports pointed to throughout the winter meetings, they may need to act quickly if they want him. The Chicago Cubs reportedly have shown interest in Bregman. Robert Murray of FanSided noted that there are mystery teams in the sweepstakes. On Wednesday, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported another team that Bregman at least has expressed interest in: the Seattle Mariners.

"Mega agent Scott Boras, representing Alex Bregman, the top free-agent third baseman on the market, has initiated discussions with the Mariners to express Bregman’s willingness to consider Seattle as a destination, an industry source told The Times," Jude wrote. "The Mariners, though, have over the past decade generally stayed out of the high-end free-agent market because they’re disinclined to offer the sort of nine-figure contract to a player such as Bregman who is entering his mid-30s. (Their $115-million deal for Robbie Ray in 2022, and the five-year deal for Naylor, still 28 years old, are the two exceptions.)

"The Mariners finished the 2025 season with a payroll around $165 million, one of the highest in franchise history. It’s not clear what the Mariners’ exact payroll budget is for 2026, but if it does exceed $165 million, it would likely be just an incremental increase."

From Jude's reporting, it doesn't sound like the feeling was reciprocated based on price, but this is still something to monitor now moving forward. At the very least, the Red Sox and Cubs both have shown interest in Bregman.

With Alonso and Schwarber both off the market, there's less wiggle room for the organization. Arguably, it should be time for Boston to act, rather than waiting for the perfect value deal.

More MLB: Why Red Sox Didn't Sign All-Star Slugger Pete Alonso