Red Sox $120 Million Superstar Could Ditch Boston For Yankees, Insider Says

Boston Red Sox fans would truly hate to lose Alex Bregman after just one year.

Bregman signed with the Red Sox in February, and he's given them everything they could have asked for through the first 50 games of the season. The 31-year-old third baseman is slashing .304/.384/.565, pacing himself for a top-three Most Valuable Player finish.

The Red Sox were careful not to overcommit to Bregman, and that could wind up being their undoing. They gave him only a three-year contract, though it was worth a robust $40 million per year, and gave him opt-outs after years one and two.

If Bregman continues at this pace, he's almost a lock to opt out this winter. And one baseball insider believes the Red Sox's biggest rivals are a threat to steal him away.

On Wednesday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic named the New York Yankees, who don't have a clear answer at third base for the next few seasons, as top potential suitors for Bregman this winter in free agency.

"Bregman, who is making $40 million this year and signed for two more years at that rate, will likely opt out of his deal," Bowden wrote.

"His free-agent market should be even more robust than last offseason with the Red Sox joined by the Yankees, Tigers, Astros, Phillies and even the Dodgers; he would be an upgrade for all of them at the hot corner."

Not only has Bregman been fantastic on the field, but he's quickly become one of the leaders of the clubhouse. Losing him anywhere would be devastating, but to the Yankees in particular... it's hard to talk about without getting worked up.

The good news, though, is that the Yankees, who were reluctant to spend much past the $300 million threshold, have virtually no free agents coming off the books. Their roster is going to get much more expensive in the years to come, as youngsters like Anthony Volpe, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt head to arbitration.

But this is the Yankees we're talking about, so the Red Sox shouldn't feel safe until Bregman is re-signed.