When the Boston Red Sox reportedly added former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman on a three-year, $120 million contract on Wednesday night, the expectation was that he'd play third base. That is, until now.
Shortly after news broke of Bregman's signing, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the soon-to-be 31-year-old would be moving to second base upon debuting at Fenway Park in 2025.
This decision doesn't make sense on multiple levels. For one, Passan mentions the emergence of middle infielder Kristian Campbell, MLB's seventh-ranked prospect, who is expected to debut in Boston sometime this season.
Now, his path is reasonably blocked at second base as a result of Bregman. And don't forget about top shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer, who is similarly close to debuting with the Red Sox. Blocking these players seems like a less than optimal approach.
We can't forget about star third baseman Rafael Devers, either. While Bregman and Devers both play the position, the former is a far superior defender at third base, even if the latter is a better hitter.
| Rafael Devers 2024 stats | Alex Bregman 2024 stats |
| Batting average: .272 | Batting average: .260 |
| Home runs: 28 | Home runs: 26 |
| Runs batted in: 83 | Runs batted in: 75 |
| OPS: .871 | OPS: .768 |
To further illustrate the discrepancy between the two players in the field, Devers recorded -9 defensive runs saved at third base in 2024 against Bregman's +6 defensive runs saved. In other words, one is a plus defender at third base, while the other is not. Therefore, it should be fairly obvious which player receives the nod with the glove.
The Red Sox believe Bregman provides a big enough jolt to sacrifice defense and more balanced roster construction. And there's no doubt that Bregman provides championship pedigree (he won two championships in Houston) and veteran leadership to a young team. He also has a relationship with manager Alex Cora dating back to their Astros days.
Regardless of position, however, $40 million in average annual value is a steep price to pay for a player who is certainly below the Shohei Ohtani and even Juan Soto tier of talent.
Still, we must give the Red Sox front office credit for making a splash after garnering previous criticism from fans and media alike for sitting on the sidelines.
