Red Sox Seen As Alex Bregman Front-Runners By MLB Insider

If the Boston Red Sox were to lose Alex Bregman this offseason, that would arguably lead to a bigger outcry in the fanbase than trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants did.

That's speculation, but bear with me for a second. When Boston traded Devers, it came as a shock. The trade itself was surprising, but there was drama brewing for a few months after the club added Bregman. Boston cut ties with Devers and the team thrived from there, in large part due to the performance of Bregman.

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He was everything the club could've asked for offensively, defensively, and from a leadership standpoint. In short, Bregman was a perfect fit. Boston seemingly was set at third base for years to come, but opted to bring in Bregman, anger someone expected to be the face of the franchise, and eventually ship him. In the season itself, it was okay. Bregman and the team thrived and made it back to the postseason. Bregman is still a free agent, but USA Today's Bob Nightengale weighed in and predicted that he will return.

The Red Sox need to act quickly

"Where will free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman go? A year ago, the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs were in hot pursuit of Bregman," Nightengale wrote. He signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox, but opted out after the first season, leaving $80 million on the table.

"Now, one year later, the Red Sox and Tigers are still interested, with the Cubs saying they’re perfectly comfortable with rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. Prediction: Bregman returns to Boston, but won’t get anywhere near the $40 million annual salary he left behind."

Nightengale is a prominent insider, so this point at least has some merit. But if he is wrong and Bregman walks, that would be a disaster for Boston. If Bregman were to leave, then the club would obviously not have Devers any longer plus his replacement at the position -- who became a fan-favorite -- in his own right would also be gone. If Bregman walks, then that is going to bring the Devers trade back into the light in a very negative way.

The Philadelphia Phillies made it clear that retaining Schwarber was a priority and made it a point to pay up for him. Reports have pointed to Bregman being Boston's priority. It's arguably time to pay up as well, even if it's not the perfect deal, to avoid risking losing him.

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