By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Boston Red Sox will face stiff competition in retaining an All-Star free agent as more top free agents come off the board.
The Red Sox have been active this offseason, trading the St. Louis Cardinals for three-time All-Star hurler Sonny Gray, but their pursuit of top free agents has not been as successful. Boston was rumored to be interested in nearly every top batter available in free agency, but the team needs to prioritize retaining star third baseman Alex Bregman after missing out on Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber.
Bregman, 31, has drawn interest from many teams in the league after opting out of the last two seasons of his contract with the Red Sox. While speaking with ESPN New York's Michael Kay on Friday, Jeff Passan highlighted that the Toronto Blue Jays are one of the teams "in the mix" for Bregman this offseason.
..."I don't know how much the Arizona thing's going to work," Passan told Kay in a video posted to YouTube by ESPN New York. "I think that the Blue Jays are very much in the mix there. It’s a little bit tougher for them because they’ve had Ernie Clement and Addison Barger at third base. Both have done well there.
"I think the Blue Jays understand chemistry matters and leadership matters. I think they benefited greatly last year from the team they had on the field. Alex Bregman, say what you will about him, is regarded as a very good clubhouse guy. And somebody who could be a leader for that team going forward. So I could see Bregman going there.”
The Blue Jays have already made improvements this offseason since they fell short to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. After coming so close to winning it all, the Blue Jays have been connected to nearly all of the top remaining free agents as they load up for another potential World Series run.
Bregman excelled in his short stint with the Red Sox, being named an All-Star for the third time in his career, and would be a great addition for the Blue Jays. The 31-year-old is a two-time World Series champion and has made the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons.
Though the Blue Jays have been heavily connected to Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker in free agency, if the team whiffs on those two players, it would make sense to sign a star like Bregman who's a proven winner and clubhouse leader.
More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Lose Fan-Favorite 1B Who Helped Save Season to AL Rival
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