“Alex has the right, as structured in his contract, to opt out and he’s going to do what’s best for his family,” Boston Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow said about the team’s superstar third baseman, Alex Bregman, who can opt out of his contract. Yes, Bregman has every right to check the market, and there’s nothing to dislike about Bregman’s approach here to take the leverage of his third All-Star season, even when his right-handed bat fits perfectly at Fenway Park.

Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox that has an opt-out clause after the 2025 and 2026 seasons and had a great season with a slash line of .273/.360/.462 with a .822 OPS, 118 hits, and 18 home runs in 114 games, despite missing seven weeks due to a quad strain. In 2025, he earned his third All-Star selection and ranked seventh among major league third basemen with a 3.5 WAR, and was also a runner-up for the 2025 Silver Slugger.

So, Colin Kleane of Boston Injection noted, “it would be foolish for Bregman to commit to the Red Sox before Boston proves it can compete with the market’s richest offers,” after this kind of season. But before the trade market for the superstar third baseman became frenzied, The New York Post‘s insider Jon Heyman revealed the Red Sox are still the “most likely” team to sign or re-sign Bregman.

“Everything’s worked out great in Boston with Bregman. So just because he’s opting out doesn’t mean he’s leaving. Why would he leave?” Heyman asked.”Maybe he will if he gets a much better offer somewhere else. But I mean he is a great fit for Boston…. So many young guys. It’s great to have a veteran of the playoffs. Boston is the most likely candidate to sign Bregman, or re-sign Bregman. Great fit. They have the money from Devers. They need a third baseman. I do think Boston is No. 1.”

It must be noted that, despite all of that, Heyman mentioned some other possible suitors for Bregman. And the Toronto Blue Jays are the most suitable place among them, at least Red Sox insider Sean McAdam of MassLive.com thinks that way. As he said, “The Jays expressed interest in Bregman for much of last winter, but didn’t get around to making an official offer, perhaps because they were more focused on extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Now that the Jays have locked up Guerrero, they might be in a better position to make another run.

“Although now, they’re in danger of losing shortstop Bo Bichette to free agency. They have other options (Ernie Clement, Addison Barger) for third, but because of their financial resources, shouldn’t be ruled out altogether.”

And what about other clubs in Heyman’s list?

Heyman listed other clubs, such as the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and even the Kansas City Royals, as potential suitors.

The Detroit Tigers were the runner-up when Bregman finally signed with the Red Sox. But this season, they have other issues like signing Tarik Skubal, who is expected to hit the free market. So another hefty deal for Bregman isn’t likely to happen.  The Seattle Mariners are also likely to be on the run as their current third baseman, Eugenio Suarez, may not be back with the team. But, as they extend a contract with Josh Naylor, they are not as fatal as other contending teams in the market.  And Boston may not be overly concerned about Kansas City’s capacity to outbid them.

But if any of them or even the teams that are not on that list outbid them, there’s a route the Red Sox can consider. They can replace Marcelo Mayers as their full-time third baseman, who has held that duty for approximately 250 innings with just one error, while Bregman got injured. But his bat was a massive downside, and he was still unproven with a .228 average, only 4 homers, and 10 RBI in 44 games.

Or the team can bring free-agent third basemen like Eugenio Suarez, who smashed 49 home runs last season. Munetaka Murakami, an international free agent, is another tempting option to replace Bregman. Even the club can bring Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who can bring a right-handed power bat and the offense that the team will miss if they start their season without Bregman.

There may be several other options in the market, but the team and its fanbase will surely try to stick with Alex Bregman and give him a longer and more lucrative contract.