Overview

• Bregman can exit the final two years and $80 million of his three-year, $120 million contract, which includes $40 million in deferred salary, and he would enter free agency without a qualifying offer attached.
• MLB.com reports it is a near certainty he will exercise the opt-out as he and agent Scott Boras assess longer-term deals that would extend beyond 2027.
• The third baseman earned an All-Star nod after a strong first half before a right quad strain sidelined him for seven weeks, and his post-injury production declined through the stretch run.
• Red Sox players, including Garrett Crochet and Trevor Story, publicly urged his return, while some insiders say the front office is weighing age and health concerns against his leadership value.
• Boston has payroll flexibility after trading Rafael Devers, yet rival interest is expected from clubs such as the Tigers, Cubs, Blue Jays, Mariners, Dodgers, Yankees and possibly the Astros.