Red Sox now finding out what Astros already knew about Alex Bregman’s priorities

The Houston Astros were raked over the coals in some dark corners of the fan base for not closing the deal on a reunion with Alex Bregman. Some of that is understandable given the number of fan favorites that the Astros have let leave over the years, but it was abundantly clear for most of the offseason that how the market valued Bregman and how he (and agent Scott Boras) valued himself were very different numbers. It's for that very reason why Bregman took a short-term deal in Boston in the first place.

While Red Sox fans were initially excited, especially when Bregman got off to a hot start, things are starting to change in Boston. It is becoming more and more likely that even if Bregman is healthy the rest of the way (and he has already been banged up in 2025), he is going to opt out of his deal at the end of the season and become a free agent again in search of that elusive payday. Given that, the Red Sox appear poised to trade Bregman at the deadline if they can't come to terms on an extension with the Mariners, Tigers, and Brewers are the most likely destinations.

Astros decision to let Alex Bregman walk is looking smarter by the day

To be clear, Bregman has been very good when he has been on the field this season with a .938 OPS at the plate. That is on pace to be his highest OPS since 2019, when he almost won AL MVP. Bregman deserves to get paid, and he agreed to the contract terms he did for a reason. Betting on himself could prove to be very lucrative for him, and it could have the added benefit of getting out of what is looking more and more like a dumpster fire of a situation in Boston.

However, Bregman has also been out since late May with a quad injury and only has a chance of returning next week. Assuming Bregman and Boras stand firm with their extension demands and he does get traded, that could mean the Red Sox could end up only getting 60ish games out of Bregman after upending their roster to accommodate him in the first place.

Players are more than entitled to chase as many dollars as they want to. Their shelf lives are finite, and setting one's family up for life is hard to fault. However, the Astros have to be feeling a lot better about letting him go, knowing that his financial demands are Boston's problem now.

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