Red Sox's Alex Bregman Reportedly Linked to Mariners, More Teams Amid MLB Trade Rumors

As the Boston Red Sox continue to swing from looking like a playoff contender to a seller leading up to the trade deadline, opposing teams are at least keeping an eye on Alex Bregman's status.

Per The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers have all been connected to the 31-year-old if the Red Sox are unable to get him to sign a long-term extension before the end of the month.

Bregman's status may be completely separate from where the Red Sox are in the standings because he has been out of action since May 23 due to a strained quad.

This has been an odd season in Boston, to say the least, with some of the issues stemming from Bregman's decision to sign with the club as a free agent. His arrival prompted Rafael Devers to push back when asked about moving off third base.

Devers eventually relented and became a full-time designated hitter, but the rift between the three-time All-Star and the club seemed to grow wider when he refused to play first base after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon on May 2.

The Red Sox ultimately decided to trade Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a surprise move on June 15. It looked like Boston's season was going to crater after that deal, as the club lost eight of its next 12 games to fall to 41-44 on June 29.

Since then, though, the Red Sox have won seven of eight games and are only one game behind the Mariners for the final playoff spot in the American League.

Bregman's contract gives him a lot of leverage right now. He signed a three-year, $120 million deal that includes an opt-out after this season and a player option for 2027.

The Red Sox have some control over the situation because he is 31 and struggled to find a robust market last offseason when he was reportedly hoping to land a $200 million contract.

Bregman was on pace for one of the best seasons of his career prior to injuring his quad. The two-time All-Star is hitting .299/.385/.553 with 11 homers in 51 games. His 157 OPS+ is the second-highest of his career, behind only 2019 (162) when he finished second in AL MVP voting.

The Mariners, Brewers and Tigers all have a need for help at third base. The Tigers reportedly extended the largest offer Bregman received in free agency at $171.5 million over six years, but he turned it down in favor of Boston's offer.

Detroit currently has the best record in MLB (59-34), but it doesn't have a need at third base. Zach McKinstry, who has played six different positions this season, has been the primary starter at the hot corner and is hitting .283/.357/.460 in 84 games.

Seattle and Milwaukee rank in the bottom half of MLB in FanGraphs' wins above replacement from their third basemen. The Brewers also have the fourth-worst wRC+ from that position in the lineup with a .208/.282/.295 slash line.

Bregman said on Monday he is hoping to return to play this week. This would give him three weeks to audition for other clubs and continue extension talks with the Red Sox before the July 31 trade deadline.