The Boston Red Sox's offseason has been rather quiet. Outside of marginal moves with former GM Chaim Bloom and the St. Louis Cardinals, Alex Cora's team hasn't gotten many reinforcements to keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays atop the AL East.
That's why, now that MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks aren't going to move 2B Ketel Marte, there's no way the Red Sox can't afford to let Bregman walk away in free agency.
The Red Sox Desperately Need to Re-Sign Alex Bregman
Even though he may no longer be a superstar, the 31-year-old posted a 3.5 WAR and an .821 OPS last season. He may have miscalculated his market when he opted out of his $120 million contract with the Red Sox, but he might still be the best right-handed hitter available right now.
The Red Sox were reportedly interested in trading for Marte, and that would've potentially made keeping Bregman a little more complicated. The Diamondbacks were also keeping tabs on Bregman, but keeping Marte in town makes it quite difficult for them to also make a run at the former World Series champion.
Notably, bringing Bregman back will be about much more than just appeasing the fans after a quiet offseason. It will also allow them to move Marcelo Mayer to second base and finally get some consistent hitting in the middle of the infield and the lineup. Red Sox second basemen combined to slash .241/.308/.362 last season, and Mayes would probably give them a long-term solution with a high upside there, all while Bregman does what he usually does right next to him.
The Red Sox could also try to make a run at Bo Bichette, who's reportedly willing to move to second base after thriving there in the World Series. Then again, as many as five teams are keeping tabs on him, and he might be asking for more money than the Red Sox seem willing to spend right now. There are also rumors about trading for Brendan Donovan, but there are no guarantees about that, either.
At the end of the day, the Red Sox might also be the best option for Bregman. He's familiar with the organization and the coaching staff, and his desire to test the free-agency waters wasn't motivated by any rift or friction between the parties. Also, with the Toronto Blue Jays signing Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto last week and the Detroit Tigers -- the other team reportedly keeping tabs on him -- not looking like much of a contender, all roads might lead back to Fenway Park.