Red Sox Revealed Huge Red Flag For Future Free Agents In Alex Bregman Talks

The Boston Red Sox want to be able to trade you.

Apr 2, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) looks on during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox can't stay out of their own way.

Since 2019 ended and Dave Dombrowski left the front office, the Red Sox's organizational philosophy has been a mix of maddening caution and lusting after unattainable sustainability. They want shiny things, but only on a very specific set of terms that others won't agree to.

It's been evident in trade negotiations, most notably Joe Ryan at last year's deadline, but Alex Bregman's free agency was just the latest and greatest example.

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Red Sox don't hand out no-trade clauses?

According to a Sunday report from Sean McAdam, the Red Sox's refusal to offer Bregman a no-trade clause was a major sticking point -- but McAdam also revealed that the Red Sox consider it a policy not to hand those out.

"Bregman has two young children and finding a permanent baseball home was hugely important to him as he didn’t want his family life further disrupted now that he’ll be playing this season in his third different city of the last three years," McAdam wrote. "The Red Sox wouldn’t bend on their refusal to grant a full no-trade clause, citing organizational policy."

We've already known that the Red Sox don't love signing free agents in their 30s because they're scared about how those contracts will age. But now, it turns out that they also don't want to give them the benefits that almost every veteran craves once they reach a certain age?

Chris Sale gained a no-trade clause by achieving his 10-and-5 rights in a Red Sox uniform, but waived it to accommodate the trade to the Atlanta Braves two offseasons ago. Otherwise, a brief deep dive did not uncover any recent examples of the Red Sox granting a free agent a no-trade clause of their own volition.

This era of Red Sox baseball is starting to be defined by a fear to make the bold moves that would expose the club to risk, but undoubtedly move it closer to a championship at the same time.

Good luck getting future free agents of Bregman's stature to come to town with that policy, by the way.

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