The Red Sox still have six weeks left in the regular season, with the added hope of a postseason run, but one topic will linger in the background no matter how far they go: Alex Bregman’s future in Boston.
By November 3 — the Monday following a potential Game 7 of the World Series — Bregman must decide whether to exercise the second year of his current contract with the Red Sox. Most around the league expect him to decline the option and test free agency again in search of a richer deal, unless Boston steps in with an extension beforehand.
Reports about the team’s efforts to engage him on that front have been inconsistent, and Bregman himself has made it clear that he isn’t interested in talking business until the season is finished. Speaking to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Bregman explained:
“Obviously, we’re open to talking [once the season ends]. But right now, for the next few months, my focus is strictly on baseball. I want to do whatever I can to help this team win and push for the playoffs. That’s where my head needs to be.”
Alex Bregman doesn’t want to talk about a Red Sox extension until the season is over
A deep playoff run could go a long way in persuading Alex Bregman to remain in Boston, but his unwillingness to discuss an extension until the offseason could leave Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office working against the clock to convince him to commit long-term.
Given how Bregman’s last round of free agency unfolded, it’s clear that his agent, Scott Boras, won’t allow him to settle for anything less than a premium deal. If Bregman chooses to opt out, there will be no shortage of suitors — and plenty of teams may still be willing to offer the kind of long-term security he’s after, even with his injury-shortened 2025 campaign in mind.
On the off chance that he simply picks up his option for 2026, which feels unlikely, Boston would be back in the same position a year from now if extension talks stall again. Either way, Breslow and his staff will be under pressure as soon as the season ends. The Red Sox will have plenty of offseason priorities to juggle, but securing Bregman’s future has always been at the top of the list — and that challenge will only grow tougher once rival teams step up with offers of their own.
