MLB Rumors on Red Sox's 'Aggressive' Alex Bregman Contract Offer in Free Agency

ESPN's Buster Olney feels the Boston Red Sox are making an "aggressive" push to bring star third baseman Alex Bregman back in free agency.

"I think that Alex Bregman's going to go back to the Red Sox," Olney said around the 7:15 mark of Friday's episode of First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo. "From what I understand, the Red Sox have made an aggressive offer on him. They valued him last summer."

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand recently reported the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks "may be the two most aggressive clubs in the hunt for Bregman, though a Red Sox reunion remains a possibility."

Bregman, who will turn 32 in March, hit free agency after slashing .273/.360/.462 in 114 games for the Red Sox last season.

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press recently reported the Detroit Tigers had only "lukewarm" interest in Bregman after making an offer to him last winter.

Bregman had a qualifying offer attached last winter when the Tigers offered him a six-year, $171.5 million deal with some money deferrals and a potential opt-out after 2026, according to a previous report from Petzold.

The third baseman ultimately signed a three-year, $120 million deal featuring annual opt-outs from the Red Sox instead, setting him on track to test free agency without being limited by a qualifying offer this winter.

Bregman is now projected by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel to receive a deal in the range of five years and $170 million this winter.

The Red Sox are in need of a slugger after trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last summer.

Boston reportedly expressed some interest in Kyle Schwarber earlier this offseason, although Schwarber has since re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

MLB.com's Jared Greenspan and Theo DeRosa recently named Eugenio Suárez as a "fallback option" for Boston should the club fall short of re-signing Bregman. Suárez ranked fifth among all MLB batters with 49 home runs in 159 games with the Seattle Mariners and Diamondbacks last season.

It sounds like the Red Sox haven't given up hope of bringing back Bregman, however, despite reported competition from both the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks.

For now Bregman joins free agent Bo Bichette, who spent his last seven seasons with the Blue Jays, alongside Diamondbacks star and reported trade candidate Ketel Marte as one of the biggest names who could still be on the move this offseason.