After weeks of rumors and speculation, the Boston Red Sox landed a coveted right-handed bat, signing free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year $120 million deal earlier this week.
For most of the offseason, the Red Sox linked to two All-Star third basemen – Bregman and Nolan Arenado. Arenado looked like the most likely candidate to join Boston as he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to make a deal happen.
However, the Red Sox’s front office found a way to get a deal done with Bregman, who will bring some pop to the lineup. On Sunday, Bregman was officially introduced as a member of the Red Sox and discussed how a Red Sox legend played a huge role in his recruitment.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the All-Star third baseman said that Dustin Pedroia, his “favorite player” recruited him to Boston and reached out multiple times. He said Pedroia told him how special it is to be a part of the Red Sox.
Bregman says “his favorite player” Dustin Pedroia recruited him to Boston, reaching out multiple times.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 16, 2025
Alex Bregman was giddy talking about one Red Sox legend that recruited him:
— NESN (@NESN) February 16, 2025
"My favorite player, Dustin Pedroia did... he talked about how special it is to be a part of the Boston Red Sox." 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ZZ94nGe2QZ
Pedroia is a Red Sox and Boston sports legend, spending his 14-year MLB career with the club.
During his long-illustrious career with the Sox, Pedroia won Rookie of the Year, and AL MVP, was a four-time All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove winner, and helped Boston win two World Series titles.
Red Sox fans hope Bregman can make a couple of All-Star teams and lead the team to one World Series title. Boston manager Alex Cora, who coached Bregman in 2017 with the Houston Astros, likened Bregman to the former Red Sox All-Star infielder.
"As a person, as a kid, he’s someone that I really respect and really like, Cora said (h/t Ian Browne of MLB.com). We went through a lot for a while I was there, so we have a good relationship. He's very similar to Dustin [Pedroia] as far as the baseball rat that he is."
It’s uncertain where Bregman will play on defense with the Sox. However, one thing we can for sure say is that the Red Sox have improved with his addition and will be a contender in the AL East this season.