Alex Bregman Open to Renegotiating Red Sox Contract Before MLB Free Agency, Agent Says

Alex Bregman is currently in the first season of his three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, but he isn't necessarily against negotiating an extension well in advance of his free agency year.

"I always tell the team—and Alex directs me to tell them—we're always open to any conversation," his agent, Scott Boras, told Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. "Any player who plays well somewhere, it's something that's important for the team and important for the player. It's an additive."

As for whether those potential extension and renegotiation talks will take place, Boras put the impetus on the Red Sox.

"Those are questions that only the team can propose," he said. "I think everybody is focused on the season. But the idea of it is if you have a player playing at a high level where he's at, that's important for the team to look at and important for the player to look at."

Any willingness to commit further to the Red Sox will be music to the ears of fans who have seen the team trade players like Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers (and comes while the Red Sox continue to hover around .500 this season, stoking fears that the team could be a significant losing streak away from becoming sellers ahead of July's trade deadline).

Bregman, 31, was hitting .299 with 11 homers, 35 RBI, 32 runs and a .938 OPS through 51 games before being sidelined with a right quadriceps injury in late May. The plan is to have Bregman take his time through the recovery process.

"I'm sure he'd like to be back yesterday. He's a quick-twitch athlete, so we have to listen to the doctors, the trainers and take our time to get him ready," Boras said. "It's about being smart. You want to be smart. Once he comes back, you want him back for the remainder."

Red Sox fans are hoping he'll be around for a long time. Tuesday's quotes from Boras certainly kept that possibility alive.