![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)
The last big free agent has signed, and well in advance of spring training games this year. While Alex Bregman's stock has been trending down in recent years, the terms of this deal would seem to confirm that he's still a prized asset within the game. He agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday, an offer that includes opt outs after the first and second seasons.
If Bregman couldn't stay in Daikin Park, with the Crawford Boxes, then going to Fenway Park, with the Green Monster, is the next best thing. With his fringy exit velocities, he has long relied on a short porch in left field to access his power, and his new home has an even more famous one than his old home. Of course, the height of the Green Monster can sometimes inhibit home runs, but it also allows for more hits, which could mean Bregman trades off some power for batting average.
| ||||||||||||
A conservative estimate would be something like a .275 average with 22 homers and similar run and RBI production to what he had in Houston (let's say 90 of each), but there's upside beyond that. He has played 21 games at Fenway Park in his career, hitting .375 with seven homers, a .490 on-base percentage and a 1.240 OPS. Granted, some of those numbers likely came during his 2018-19 peak, when he was delivering 30-40 homers and competing for MVP honors. He's not that anymore, but this destination likely ensures Bregman will retain about as much value as the past couple years. He's a safe, mid-range compiler to target after the elites have gone off the board, and he's certainly better off in Boston than he would have been in Chicago.
What's less certain about this signing is what it means for the Red Sox defensively, and perhaps by the time you're reading this, we'll have a better idea of their plans. In the immediate aftermath of the signing, though, national and beat writers alike were left to speculate whether Bregman or third baseman Rafael Devers is the one changing positions. Bregman's representation announced early in the offseason that he was willing to move to second base in the right deal, and that would seem to be the clearer opening in the Red Sox lineup. But then again, the Red Sox have been linked to a number of third basemen this offseason, clearly trying to find a way to move Devers off the position after a season plagued by shoulder issues.
While we'd like to see Bregman with second base eligibility, given how weak the position is currently, we wouldn't care to see him block top prospect Kristian Campbell, who was thought to be in the mix for that job heading into spring training. While first base eligibility for Devers would be useful, it would present a complication for both Triston Casas and, of lesser importance, Masataka Yoshida.
Until the Red Sox offer some clarity, we're left to speculate, perhaps curtailing our enthusiasm for Campbell, if nothing else. It's possible the situation could remain murky as the Red Sox evaluate their options this spring.
