Red Sox's Craig Breslow Reacts to Alex Bregman Signing $175M Cubs Contract in MLB Free Agency

Alex Bregman's tenure with the Boston Red Sox ended up being just one season even though the American League East team wanted to bring him back this offseason.

"Any time you are active in trying to bring a player in, it's disappointing to lose out," Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said after the Chicago Cubs signed the 31-year-old, per Chris Cotillo of Mass Live. "We do this job because we are competitive and we want to deliver a championship to our fans, and falling short in a pursuit is an obstacle to that."

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Cubs agreed to a five-year, $175 million deal with Bregman, which The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted included $70 million in deferrals.

According to Cotillo, Boston's offer was lower at five years and $165 million with "heavy deferrals."

It is quite the loss for the Red Sox, although Breslow remains optimistic heading into the 2026 campaign.

"I am not going to gloss over the impact that Alex had on our season," he said. "He is a great player with a strong leadership presence in our clubhouse. But this job requires balancing long and short term interests and making the best decisions for the organization, difficult as they be. It means losing out on good players sometimes. 

"However, while we will enter the '26 season with different personnel, there will be no less resolve to compete for the division and make a deep post season run. I believe in the group we have while we keep working to find ways to add to it. Our goal is to deliver to our fans, the season that they deserve."

Boston's loss is Chicago's gain, as the Cubs now have a two-time World Series champion, three-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner and Gold Glover to add to their infield.

The National League Central team made the playoffs last season and now have even higher expectations following the addition of Bregman and starting pitcher Edward Cabrera. If Cade Horton takes another step after an excellent rookie season and Justin Steele eventually returns to health, the Cubs could have one of the best starting rotations in the league.

That is what made the Bregman addition so important, as they needed more offense following the presumed loss of Kyle Tucker in free agency.

Bregman will provide them with just that as they chase a division crown and deep playoff run with a new star.