Red Sox Predicted To Lose High-Stakes Bidding War For $119 Million Superstar To Cubs

It's becoming the everlasting story of the 2024 Major League Baseball offseason: Where will free agent third baseman Alex Bregman sign?

Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (30) in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The two-time All-Star would be a great fit for the Boston Red Sox, who desperately need right-handed power. However, the Red Sox appear spooked by his age (31 this season) and slight decline in performance, so they haven't been willing to offer him as lucrative a deal as he desires.

The battle for Bregman has taken a number of twists and turns throughout the past month, with the Houston Astros seemingly re-entering the mix with the trade of Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs. But on Tuesday, the Astros' general manager, Dana Brown, spoke as if Bregman was already a lost cause.

At this point, the teams left in the hunt seem to be the Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue Jays. It's the rare free-agent chase in which none of the fan bases involved have much reason to feel confident - yet, Bregman still has to choose one of them.

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted that Bregman would sign with the Cubs, leaving the Red Sox as the presumptive runners-up.

"It's probably a battle between the Cubs and Red Sox, both of whom have a tax payroll a few million below $200 million and the ability to afford way more than that," Miller wrote. "And between the two, the fit makes more sense in Chicago."

"Boston would either be moving Bregman or Rafael Devers away from third base—probably Bregman to 2B—while also creating more of a logjam keeping the likes of Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony in the minors."

Miller also cited a Spotrac market value projection that Bregman is worth four years, $119 million, which seems to be right in the ballpark of what both the Red Sox and Cubs are currently offering, based on various reports from the last few weeks.

Regarding Miller's second paragraph, the Red Sox have put themselves into a win-lose scenario by waiting this long to sign a free agent, leaving Bregman as their only option.

Some will be upset if Bregman takes over second base and denies Campbell a clear path to early-season playing time, while others will be upset if the team isn't willing to outbid teams like Chicago for Bregman. You can't please everyone, but these days, most just want to see the team spend like it used to.