Alex Bregman Voted 'Most Irreplaceable' by MLB Insiders After Leaving Red Sox for Cubs
Of all the free-agent moves during the offseason, the Boston Red Sox not being able to bring back Alex Bregman is the one that people within MLB believe will be the most difficult to overcome.
In a survey of 36 league executives by The Athletic's Jayson Stark, Bregman was the top vote-getter as the "most irreplaceable subtraction" from free agency.
"I have to go with Bregman," one voter said, "because of everything he brings, even off the field."
Bregman received 11 votes, followed by Pete Alonso (10), Kyle Tucker (six) and Framber Valdez (five).
One of the big reasons that Bregman stands out above the rest, as Stark noted, is what he brings to the table as a leader in the clubhouse.
"He's more than just a baseball player," Stark wrote. "He's the most magnetic personality in every clubhouse he enters."
Bregman left the Red Sox to sign a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs. MLB.com's Ian Browne noted Boston's final offer to the three-time All-Star was for $165 million over five years, but it did not include a full no-trade clause and the deferred money would have been paid out "significantly" later than when the Cubs' deferrals go out.
Boston didn't really do anything to directly replace Bregman, with the hope being Marcelo Mayer takes a step forward after playing 44 games in his debut season last year.
Mayer, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft, hit .228/.272/.402 in 136 plate appearances. The Red Sox will also hope to see if Kristian Campbell can turn into the player they were counting on when he signed an eight-year, $60 million extension just five games into his rookie year in 2025.
Campbell hit just .223/.319/.345 in 67 games before being demoted to Triple-A for the remainder of the season.
The Red Sox do have pieces in place at different positions to replace Bregman's production. Getting Roman Anthony back healthy should provide a huge boost after he was on track to win AL Rookie of the Year before an oblique injury ended his 2025 season on Sept. 2.
Willson Contreras, who was acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, hit .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers in 135 games last season.
There is a lot of competition in the AL East, especially since the Baltimore Orioles boosted their lineup with Pete Alonso, that Boston's path to the postseason is going to be extremely difficult.
But there is still plenty of talent on the roster heading into this season that the Red Sox can compete with their division rivals, even if they will miss Bregman's production at the hot corner.
