Red Sox Superstar Projected To Sign 6-Year, $180 Million Contract After Opt-Out

Where will the final price tag fall?

Aug 29, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detailed view of Boston Red Sox left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) helmet in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The news every Boston Red Sox fan knew was coming dropped on Monday, and now, the waiting game can begin.

Alex Bregman opted out of the final two years of his deal with the Red Sox, valued at $80 million, in order to re-enter free agency without a qualifying offer this winter. He'll look to earn a huge payday, or he wouldn't be doing this, but we also know he values a winning culture, which he seemed to be leading the charge to build in Boston.

Still, for the Red Sox to keep Bregman, they'll have to show him the money. And without knowing what teams are offering, our best method of recourse is to see what sorts of projections are out there and guess whether the Red Sox would be willing to meet the price tag.

Bregman's latest projection could be too rich for ownership's blood

Aug 31, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) rounds the bases to score on a two run home run by left fielder Jarren Duran (16) (not pictured) during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

On Monday, Baseball America projected Bregman to land a six-year, $180 million contract this winter. Site author Eli Ben-Porat explained why the projection was as such.

"Bregman's combination of stellar defense and production make him a high-floor, high-ceiling bet at a position where there aren’t a ton of other options," Ben-Porat wrote.

It's too early to know if such offers are out there, but last winter, Bregman turned down six years, $171.5 million from the Detroit Tigers. Without the qualifying offer attached, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see Detroit up its offer, and other teams, like the Chicago Cubs and maybe even the Philadelphia Phillies, could come into play at similar price points.

What we definitely know about the Red Sox's pursuit of Bregman is that a contingent of the front office, led by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, did not want to commit to the three-time All-Star for the long haul.

Now that he's a year older (age-32 season incoming) and coming off a season where he missed time due to injury, do we really think that outlook is going to change? Those who say it will are going to point to the impact Bregman made on the clubhouse, so perhaps we'll see how much that's really worth.

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