In December, four of the top six free agents on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list went undrafted. left handed Blake Snell (#4) Headed to Dodgers on the last day of November, followed by shortstop Willie Adams (#5) and Juan Soto (#1), both signed before the start of the Winter Meetings. Max Fried (#6) then signed during the Winter Meetings, and corbyn burns (#2) quietly reached a deal with the Diamondbacks before 2024 was about to end. As we turn to 2025, there’s only one free agent left in the top six on the roster: the infielder Alex BregmanAs winter begins in November, MLBTR ranks him as the third-highest free agent of the offseason.
In nine years in the majors with the Astros, Bregman won two World Series, was a two-time All-Star, and won a Gold Glove Award (2024) and a Silver Slugger Award (2019). Base awards. While Bregman hasn’t been able to recapture the 8-win form of his prime years since, he’s still been a well-above-average regular in recent years: From 2022-24, Bregman slashed .260/.349/ .449 (127 wRC+) with 14.0 fWAR and 13.6 bWAR. An average of four-plus wins per year should make any player a fairly sought-after commodity in free agency, and Bregman is no exception. The Red Sox and Tigers have been frequently linked to Bregman this winter, while other notable suitors include the Blue Jays, Mets and Phillies. It’s a market that looks pretty strong, with multiple big-market clubs interested.
That being said, however, Bregman’s influence on the free-agent market may not be as strong as it was a few weeks ago. For much of the winter, the most obvious suitors for the veteran’s services were naturally the current Astros, but a reunion between the two sides seemed to be off the table now that they’ve signed Christian Walker and trade as Isaac Paredes Covering the infield corners. Meanwhile, the Yankees appear to be moving away from the top of the third base market, as reports last week poured cold water on the possibility of the club acquiring either Bregman or the Cardinals third baseman in free agency. Nolan Arenado through trade.
Even among the suitors who haven’t clearly ruled out Bregman, their interest may have waned in recent weeks. One of those teams could be the Tigers, who reportedly began pursuing Bregman more seriously last week … but instead signed the second baseman Gleyber Torres A one-year deal was reached shortly after. While the addition of Torres certainly wouldn’t completely deter the Tigers from signing Bregman given their promising salary prospects and the club’s relatively unstable third base situation, the addition of another veteran right-handed bat would certainly ease the pressure Otherwise Tigers brass may feel compelled to add Bregman.
Another potential wild card that could still be on Bregman’s roster could be the Phillies, who were reportedly interested in him earlier this winter. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently suggested the club could make a major addition, but shortly thereafter the Phillies made a trade to acquire the left-hander Jesus Luzardo From Marlins. Phillies may need to waive third baseman Alec Bohm Before they seriously considered adding Bregman to their roster, though, it’s worth noting that Bohm has been a frequent subject of trade rumors this winter.
Still, some of Bregman’s suitors would be a good fit for his services. The Red Sox have been relatively secondary in recent years, but this winter, the Red Sox have become one of the most discussed teams in the rumor mill. While their rumored pursuit of big-name free agents like Juan Soto, Max Fried, and Corbin Burns have not come to fruition so far, they have found other ways to be more aggressive, and improved their rotation, including Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. With the starting five’s issues seemingly resolved, the club’s top priority this winter is adding a right-handed hitter to the lineup who can both improve the offense and provide some relief against the club’s many left-handed hitters. balance. Bregman is a perfect fit for the role, so it’s no surprise that the Red Sox have been in contact with him frequently this winter.
Meanwhile, things haven’t changed much for the Mets and Blue Jays in recent weeks. New York appears to be prioritizing reunion with first baseman Pete Alonso Adds Bregman, who will move into third base and play younger players Mark Ventos A move to No. 1 while potentially eliminating the possibility of a reunion between Alonso and the Mets. Still, if the Mets can’t bridge the gap they currently have in negotiations with their long-term powerhouse, it would be hard to find a better fit for the Mets than Bregman when looking for a contingency package. In Toronto, new Andres Jimenez To the club’s infield means signing Bregman could be a push Ernie Clement to the bench (at least unless traded Beau Bichette), but the third baseman is exactly the kind of middle-of-the-order hitter the Jays have long wanted to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in their lineup.
As is the case with high-end free agents lingering on the open market, Bregman’s price tag may make some teams hesitant to pursue him more aggressively. The infielder appears to have been looking for a $200MM free agent deal this winter, with MLBTR predicting before the start of the offseason that he would receive a seven-year, $18MM deal. That price seemed to make both the Astros and Yankees uneasy in pursuing Bregman, and the Tigers seemed unwilling to reach that level based on previous reports of their interest.
If interested clubs want to sign Bregman to a deal approaching six years and $156MM, Houston will reportedly offer their long-term third baseman or a short-term, high-AAV deal filled with similar opt out Carlos Correa Having signed him when he left Houston a few winters ago, they may have to wait on his market until closer to the start of spring training. Nor can we rule out the possibility of a “mystery team” swooping down on Bregman (like what happened to Corbin Burns last week).
How will Bregman’s free agency play out? Will he choose one of his currently known suitors, or another club? Will he get the $200 deal he’s seeking, or end up regretting turning down Houston’s reported $156 offer?
