Red Sox Made Clear Mistake With Alex Bregman

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Red Sox Made Clear Mistake With Alex Bregman

Originally posted on Baseball Now | By Aaliyan Mohammed | Last updated Oct 6, 2026 1:26 PM ET

Alex Bregman had a resurgent All-Star season for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, but the team let him walk in free agency.

The Red Sox reportedly offered Bregman less money than the Chicago Cubs on a five-year deal, and refused to include a no-trade clause. Both the Cubs' offer and the Red Sox's offer included deferred money, but Bregman ended up in Chicago. Both he and Durbin started off poorly at the plate, and then both turned their seasons around. However, Bregman's surge outweighed Durbin's and would probably have been more valuable for the Red Sox.

Through 102 games. Bregman had a .234 batting average and a .682 OPS. Durbin had a .479 OPS through 48 games, but that's when his turnaround started. At the end of the regular season, Bregman had a .265/.355/.464 slash line with 28 home runs. Durbin had a .248/.332/.378 slash line with 13 home runs.

Even though both had to overcome terrible starts, Bregman ended up with better numbers and provided much more slug. After the season ended, Craig Breslow noted the team's need for more slug.

"Our offense was inconsistent," Breslow said to reporters on Monday. "We got on base at a decent clip, but we didn't slug, we didn't hit a ton of home runs. I'm not sure if we took advantage of the unique venue that we play in. Naturally, we're gonna spend some time thinking about how we improve our offense and, particularly, how we build a roster that will thrive at Fenway Park."

Bregman's OPS was only two points lower than his OPS last season. While both were stellar defenders at third base, Bregman would certainly fill Breslow's desire for some slugging.

Now, the Red Sox will go into the offseason looking for some more power. Meanwhile, the Cubs look to have hit the jackpot with Bregman, who could be a steady force at third base for the remainder of his contract. Had the Red Sox simply paid Bregman, they may have been able to get past the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.

To be fair, not having Bregman was not the reason the Red Sox were eliminated and did not have great power numbers in the season. Injuries to Roman Anthony and Trevor Story heavily contributed to the lack of slugging, and getting those guys healthy could make a huge difference. However, it's hard to imagine Durbin developing the kind of power Bregman has.

This article first appeared on Baseball Now and was syndicated with permission.

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