Some stories got smoke. This one? It’s got fire. Picture this—Boston’s front office rolling out the red carpet for Alex Bregman, two-time champ, All-Star bat, stone-cold clubhouse leader. But turns out, the biggest pitch that landed him in a Boston Red Sox jersey didn’t come from a GM or any agent. Nope, it came from the dirt-dog himself, Dustin Pedroia. Legend to legend. Champ to champ. A behind-the-scenes call that might’ve flipped the whole damn season.

So how’d Boston convince a two-time World Series champ to leave Houston’s humid comfort zone for the pressure cooker of Fenway? It wasn’t the money—well, not all of it. The three-year, $120 million deal had more layers than a Fenway Frank. With opt-outs after each of the first two years, and deferred money that drops the current value closer to $90 million. Still, it was Boston announcing, ‘We’re done being average.’ Since landing, Bregman’s been doing exactly what they paid for—leading, hitting, changing the tone.

But the kicker? Dustin Pedroia closed the deal. The same man who once grinded out games with bloody jerseys and ice-wrapped knees. On NESN’s “Unobstructed Views,” Pedroia revealed how it went down with Bregman.

“When I was asked to make those calls, I was just telling the truth in my experiences on playing in Boston,” Pedroia said. “I can only give you my personal take on what my experience is like. And you know, if you win in Boston, it’s the best place in the world. It’s challenging every day. They demand you to play hard.” No sales pitch. Just raw truth. Pedroia kept it real, and Bregman listened.

“It was all positive,” Pedroia added. “We talked some numbers here and there… I said, ‘Listen, I’m not an agent. I’m not writing checks, so I can just tell you what it’s like in Boston.’ But it worked out. He’s playing great. I think he’s liking it.” So far, ‘Great’ is an understatement. Through his first 35 games in a Red Sox uniform, the man’s been straight cooking: .317 average, .396 OBP, .583 slugging, 8 homers, 27 RBIs, 13 doubles. A third baseman with that kind of line? Top three, no doubt.

He didn’t waste time making noise either. That 5-for-5 night against the Rays with two bombs and four RBIs? That was the ‘Jose Ramirez caliber’ moment. First five-hit game of his career. And in Boston threads. When asked why he chose the Sox, Bregman didn’t hesitate: “I plan on winning here.” Cold. But it’s what he’s doing off the field that’s got insiders whispering.

Word around the clubhouse? Bregman’s already the alpha. Not just leading by example, but leading vocally. Helping the young guns level up. Resetting the culture after a few rocky years.

Alex Bregman vouches for Abraham Toro: Red Sox fans are in for a treat

It’s not just Bregman’s fire that Boston inherited—it’s his circle. And one name Red Sox Nation better start getting familiar with? Abraham Toro. Bregman’s vouching for him, hard. And if there’s anyone who knows the player’s ceiling, it’s Breggy. They shared a clubhouse in Houston from 2019 to 2021, and he witnessed Toro at both his rawest and realest.

“He’s a baseball player, competitor, he’s gonna do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Bregman told the Boston Herald ahead of Toro’s first Sox start. “A guy with pop from both sides of the plate, will throw a great at-bat on you, play good defense at multiple positions across the field, he’s a tough out.”

And Bregman isn’t just handing out compliments like Halloween candy. There’s a specific memory burned into his brain: September 1, 2019. Toronto. Justin Verlander threw a no-hitter. But it was Toro who broke the deadlock with a late-game nuke and sealed the deal defensively. “Toro hit a home run, actually, to give us the lead, and the last play of the game was hit to him, too, and he made the play,” Bregman said. Toro homered in his native Canada, drove in Bregman, and then fielded Bo Bichette’s grounder to end the game. Hollywood couldn’t script that cleaner.

Now, let’s keep it 100—Toro’s 2024 numbers with Oakland weren’t breaking the internet: .240/.293/.350 with 6 HR and 26 RBIs over 94 games. His second-half drop-off even got him DFA’d. But if you think he’s washed, Bregman would like a word. “I know how much preparation and hard work he puts into the game, and how focused he is on a daily basis,” he said. “I love being his teammate.”

And that’s the thing—you can’t measure an indomitable human spirit on a stat sheet. Toro might not have the it factor, but he’s got the fight. And in a clubhouse that’s finally rediscovering its edge, he fits the vibe like a puzzle piece that’d been missing since 2018. Bottom line? Bregman didn’t come to Boston to play house. He came to build something. And if he’s putting his name behind Toro, that says plenty. The ride’s just getting good.