The Red Sox just FINESSED the MLB...

Red Sox did it. They went out and spent some money. They went out and acquired Alex Bregman. I'm here to break down the contract as well as how good this is going to be for the Red Sox going in to this 2025 MLB season. We'll break down all of the new information on this episode of Red Sox Digest. But first, remember, if you're part of that 86.5% currently watching this video, not currently subscribed, scroll down, click the subscribe button, stay up to date on everything Red Sox. We do appreciate all of the love and support. So thank you guys. But now let's get to it and break down how we got Alex Bregman. This is huge. Now we've been discussing this. For weeks, if not months now, on this channel, Alex Bregman has been the topic of conversation, not only for the majority of this offseason, or really all teams considered, but specifically this Red Sox organization, as we've seen big name free agent, whether they be switch hitter or a right-handed bat specifically. Go to other teams this offseason, and the Red Sox have missed out time after time after time. And now we have gone out there, and we made the splash we needed to this offseason, and we acquired Alex Bregman. Now, shout out to Jeff Passan, as well as Jesse Rogers and Chandler Rome, who broke the news about Alex Bregman signing to the Boston Red Sox. Now, Passan tweets, Alex Bregman's three years, $120 million deal with Boston includes Deferred money, sources told ESPN, the $40 million salary in $10 million plus more per year than others were offering. The Red Sox land the best free agent left on the market. First on the news was again at Chandler Rome. So again, shout out to all parties included and involved that broke this news. It is huge. And again, I. We've been talking about this forever, and again, it seemed like the Red Sox were going to go the entire offseason without acquiring the right-handed bat, the big name, after watching dozens of names, whether, again, they beat position players or starting pitching or, again, coming out of the bullpen, seeing multiple guys we miss out on, whether they go to the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Tigers, wherever they may go, again, it felt like we were continuing to miss out on big name after big name, and the Red Sox said, F it. We're going to go out there. We're going to spend the money. We're going to really. Just bite the bullet. We're going to eat the money that, again, we didn't want to pay earlier in this offseason. And again, they went out and got Alex Bregman. Now, Jeff Passan would follow up that first tweet with this as it goes on to say, the expectation is that Alex Bregman will play second base for the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN. Even though the Red Sox have top prospect Christian Campbell coming, they saw Bregman have enough of an impact that they offered $40 million per year with deferrals to make the deal happen. We'll break down the other contracts offered as Buster only went on the tweet. The Tigers offered Bregman six years for $171 million. The Astros, as we know, the six years for $156 million offer that was presented in the early stages of this offseason that Bregman walked away from and hoped to get close to that seven, eight year total in length. In the sense of contract, as well as close to the $200 million mark. Now, obviously, there was a lot of conversation amongst this offseason. How it didn't seem like Bregman was going to be successful in really holding out and not accepting that first offer. But again, the Red Sox come out and offer him $40 million per year in land, Alex Bregman. And again, are you going to be able to argue that they overpaid? Yes, if you really want to be petty in that sense. But again, the Red Sox did not spend any money this offseason, at least no large chunks of money, we should say, again, on these big name free agents. And again, seeing Alex Bregman available with these two other teams like we broke down in the last episode of Red Sox Digest, how it was a three team race and there were three finalist teams, if you will, for this, again, coveted. Off-season superstar, if you will, in Alex Bregman, the best available free agent left up to this point in the off-season, as again, it is February 13th. We had to get the ball rolling. Bregman was going to end up signing by the end of this week to one of these three teams, whether it was the Cubs, whether it was the Detroit Tigers, or the Boston Red Sox, as those were the three teams mentioned in the last video as the three finalists. Now, again, we've discussed how good Bregman has been throughout the entirety of his career. Obviously, he has regressed last season. But if we look at what he's good at, he is a very, very dominant pull hitter. And we discussed again in the last video of Red Sox Digest how good Bregman has been in Boston specifically playing in Fenway Park. If you look at these, only two years with an OPS under 1,000. In one of them, he had a .913 OPS with an average of a 1.200 OPS in Fenway. He is now going to call that his home park. He's now going to be at home in Fenway. He is going to. Pepper the wall. He's going to have many doubles. I can't wait to see how this actually plays out for the Red Sox. We've broken down the projected lineup before, and now FanGraphs actually has it updated with Bregman involved in the lineup listed at second base. And again, this lineup is terrifying. This team was already ranked ninth in all of the MLB in total offense last season. And now we add Alex Bregman, as well as all of the additions that we did in the, again, in the bullpen, as well as the starting rotation. Team is going to wreak havoc amongst the entire MLB and specifically the AL East. And I can't wait to see how this plays out again. Duran leading off, followed by Devers, Bregman, Casas, Yoshida, Story, Abreu, Wong, and Rafaela. This is a very, very complete lineup. And remember, if Bregman is playing second base, we still have the ability to move Devers to DH or first. Again, a lot of versatility there. And Bregman can move back to third base. And we can, again, restart the competition for second between Campbell, obviously the promising prospect, who, again, we could expect as early as this season in the early stages at the earliest, again, as well as Von Grisham. who's battling for the second base position as well as others like David Hamilton, it's going to be interesting. There's a lot of really good assets on this Red Sox team, and Bregman makes them so much better, not only with the defensive capabilities and the versatility that he brings in the infield specifically, but also, again, and I know he regressed last season. I understand that. But when you put him in Fenway for half of these games, in half of 162, he's going to be able to feast in Fenway, and I think we're going to see. A bit more of progression from Bregman compared to what we saw last year. Again, being in Fenway is going to help substantially as well as putting him in a lineup where he's not going to be the sole provider. Provider, excuse me, of the offense. He's going to have players like Devers, like Duran hitting in front of him, as well as players like Casas and Yoshida throughout the rest of the lineup, bringing power as well as a good level of contact, the ability to steal bags. Bregman is going to be able to fit in just. perfectly with this Red Sox team. Now, if we look at the annual AAV, which is the average value per year, if you will, that is being paid to these guys playing third base. Again, Bregman is going to be playing second base. I understand that, but he is listed as a third baseman. He's played his whole nine year career at third base. So again, if we look at the top 10 third baseman being paid in AAV, he would now be listed as the number one paid third baseman in the entire MLB. That It's a bit drastic, especially when you look at the other names. Rafael Dovers, Manny Machado, Austin Riley, Jose Ramirez. Again, these guys are the cream of the crop, and I understand that. But Bregman is getting paid. Really, I'm not upset with the fact that we're giving him $40 million. I'm totally okay with it. Again, here's a better version of what really was offered amongst the other three main targets from Bregman or possible suitors for Bregman. Shout out to Ben Verlander, who, again, He was tweeting every single day. If you don't know this on Twitter, every single day this offseason, it'd be a great day for the Detroit Tigers to sign Alex Bregman every single day. And he ends up falling to the Red Sox. But again, to break down the other offers presented to Bregman by the other possible suitors, Astros six years, 156 million. Again, they never altered that first offer from earlier this offseason, followed by the Tigers six years, 171 and a half million dollars, followed by the Cubs four years, 120 million. that we broke down surrounding this entire transaction and possible transactions surrounding Bregman. The Cubs were stuck on the three-year mark. It didn't seem like they were going to come up above that three-year mark offered to Bregman. It looks like they did come up and offer him four years for $120 million, but the Red Sox stay at that three-year mark, the lowest in the sense of total years offered to Bregman, but they did offer him 40 per year, which is really what got him home Boston and again I don't think it's just the money if you look at this lineup there's a lot of young pieces throughout the entirety of this lineup specifically in the rotation as well as the bullpen they're going to win for a long time as well as not even mentioning the farm system which ranks number one in the entirety of the MLB now there are two opt-outs in the Bregman contract which is going to be huge. I believe there's one after each year, again, it only being a three year deal. So I believe after this following year, he will have an opt out. And then the second year, he will also have an opt out before that third and final year. Again, that is not confirmed. That is just a report that I did see. I'm not exactly sure when those opt outs do really go into effect. I, again, when we do have updates, I will bring them to you on this channel. So make sure you do subscribe. And the last thing we're going to highlight, which I absolutely love, This was so cool to see in the sense of. I just feel like there's a little bit of swag coming back, and I hate using that word because I feel like it's so dated and it's not really accurate in the sense of what we're trying to say, but it really does bring in the idea of what we're really looking at here. Now, if you don't know who this is, this is John Henry. He is one of the main guys in the organization for the Red Sox, and his wife actually took this picture and posted it on her Instagram story just a few hours ago, and actually just an hour and a half ago, and it's him smoking a stogie in what looks to be just one of the rooms and whatever. Pousey may be in, and it's just a celebration, Stogie, it seems to be, and this is just like we're getting that mojo back. We're slowly but surely, yes, you guys have doubted us all season long. We didn't spend really a large majority of money this offseason. We really watched these guys go to other organizations that could greatly help this Red Sox team, but at the end of the offseason, we still went out and got that substantial right-handed bat who's not only going to balance out this lineup. But be a substantial piece defensively as well as offensively to this Red Sox team while also being one of the key pieces in the sense of leadership and experience because of the nine-year career. The long postseason run after long postseason run down in Houston that Bregman has had up to this point in his career. I really do enjoy this move by the Red Sox. It's something that seemed. Like a long shot, if you will, because of the other competitors, like the Cubs, like the Detroit Tigers, and even the Toronto Blue Jays, who have all been in the mix for the very, very coveted infielder in Alex Bregman. So again, we got the job done. Craig Breslow has spent some money. He went out and acquired Alex Bregman. I can't wait to see how this actually all plays out. But again, based off of what we're looking at and going into this season with. I am extremely excited to see how this actually all plays out for the Boston Red Sox with their brand new addition, Alex Bregman. Let me know down below what you guys think about this great move by the Boston Red Sox. I will see you guys on the next episode of Red Sox Digest.