Alex Bregman will opt out of his contract with the Red Sox, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He has two years and $80 million remaining on his contract, although some of that money will be deferred.
Bregman, 31, is coming off a solid season in which he hit .273/.360/.462 with a 125 wRC+ in 114 games for Boston. After posting an unusually low walk rate of 6.7% in 2024, he rebounded to 10.3% in 2025, while his strikeout rate increased only modestly to a still-excellent 14.1%. His batted ball metrics back up his performance, with his average exit velocity of 90.1 mph and hard hit rate of 44.4 percent, both representing career highs. Despite missing seven weeks in the first half of the season with a right quad injury, Bregman was worth 3.5 fWAR this year, ranking seventh among major league third basemen with a minimum of 400 plate appearances.
Defensively, Bregman ranked above average, although down from his 2024 season. In 972 1/3 innings at third base, he was worth one defensive run saved and three outs above average in 2025, with Statcast rating his range in the 83rd percentile. For comparison, he was worth 6 DRS and 8 OAA with the Astros last year. Defensive metrics are notoriously tricky, of course, but it appears Bregman remains a defensive asset as he continues into his 30s.
By opting out, Bregman gives up two years for a $40 million AAV. That figure is somewhat misleading, however, because $60 million of the $120 million total is deferred until 2035-46, according to Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, significantly reducing the contract’s AAV. Regardless, Bregman will undoubtedly look to surpass that guarantee in his second straight trip to the free agent market. Before this year’s quad injury, he had three straight healthy seasons from 2022-2024 and is a reasonable bet to stay healthy moving forward.
Under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the MLB Players Association, Bregman is not eligible to receive a qualifying offer after receiving one from the Astros last offseason. A potential team won’t need to give up draft compensation to sign Bregman this time around. A look at our 2025-26 MLB free agent list shows Bregman as the clear headliner at third base, with Eugenio Suárez representing the next best option. Suarez, 34, has hit 49 homers this season and matched Bregman’s 125 wRC+, but he is three years older and an inferior defender.
Given the state of the market, his ineligibility for another qualifying offer and his strong platform season, Bregman will likely seek a long-term contract this offseason. He was reportedly seeking a $200 million contract early last winter. He declined an initial six-year, $156 million offer from the Astros and ultimately turned down a six-year, $171.5 million offer from Detroit late in the offseason. Heyman writes today that Bregman responded with an offer in the $180 million range before agreeing to a shorter deal with Boston at a much higher annual rate.
A reunion with the Red Sox is certainly possible, with the team having traded Rafael Devers to the Giants last June. The team has not exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2024, although it appears on track to exceed this year’s $241 million threshold by millions, according to RosterResource. The team will see Steven MatzThe $12.5 million salary was taken off the books this offseason. They could also refuse their end of Lucas GiolitoThe $19 million mutual option depending on the severity of his recent elbow issue. Liam Hendriks underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery in September and will likely have his $12 million mutual option declined.
If the team runs a similar payroll in 2026 after this year’s playoffs, the club could attempt to resign Bregman. The Tigers and Cubs were both interested in Bregman last winter and could be interested in him as well. The Cubs are reportedly only interested in Bregman on a short-term deal, and their outgoing third baseman, Matt Shawshowed promise in his debut this year. In contrast, the Tigers’ third basemen ranked 26th in the majors this year with a 76 wRC+ and would benefit greatly from a player of Bregman’s caliber. If Bregman leaves Boston, the Red Sox could hand the reins to Marcelo Mayer or make a play for Suarez in free agency.
