Alex Bregman will soon return to the Boston Red Sox.
Bregman, who hasn’t appeared in a game since May 23, is trending in the right direction after suffering a quad strain that sent him to the injured list, and is expected to be activated at some point during Boston’s weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Red Sox are undoubtedly glad to have him close to returning, but one question that has crossed everyone’s minds relates to whether this will be his final stretch run in the uniform. Bregman has a player option at the conclusion of the season, and based on how he’s looked when healthy, he’ll almost certainly exercise it.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been pressed with questions about possibly extending the three-time All-Star, as many believe the club needs to avoid letting him get back to free agency. WEEI’s Greg Hill pushed further on Thursday, asking the executive to describe current extension talks in one word.
“I think ‘ongoing’ is always a fair summary, given this is something on our mind and it’s something on Alex’s mind,” Breslow said. “I’d say the priority over the last two months has been doing everything we can to get Alex back on the field, but I’ve been pretty outspoken about what he’s provided on the field and in the clubhouse… He’s a guy we would like to have here in a Red Sox uniform for a long time.”
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Can they get a deal done, though?
Bregman has almost all of the leverage.
The Red Sox haven’t just praised him for what he’s brought to the clubhouse in terms of leadership with young players and a winning pedigree, but they also traded their best hitter on Father’s Day. Boston needs Bregman, and will likely have to pay up in order to keep him.
