Even the most ardent advocates for the Boston Red Sox to sign Alex Bregman have to admit the odds are looking slim these days.
Bregman, the two-time All-Star third baseman with a right-handed swing built for Fenway Park, has been loosely linked to the Red Sox all winter, and it seems like manager Alex Cora wants him in Boston pretty badly. But if the front office felt the same way, Bregman probably would have signed by now.
According to reports, the Red Sox have been unwilling to offer more than four years to Bregman, who has at least two other offers of six years from American League contenders. There’s always a chance Boston could change their minds, but it’s probably best not to get Red Sox fans’ hopes up.
However, there is another, lesser-known name that nearly every prognosticator seems to think the Red Sox can attain, to the point where it might be a surprise if this particular role player signs elsewhere.
Former Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter/outfielder Randal Grichuk was originally predicted to sign a $12 million deal with the Red Sox by Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein on Jan. 13, and on Friday, Finkelstein updated his offseason projections, with Grichuk still headed to Boston this time around.
“Grichuk thrived in the (platoon) role, crushing lefties to the tune of a .319/.386/.528 slash line, with a 151 wRC+ across 184 plate appearances,” Finkelstein wrote.
“Grichuk would be the perfect partner for Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox. It’s not a move that would get fans excited compared to a potential Alex Bregman signing, but it would be adding a much-needed right-handed bat into the fold.”
The Red Sox’s struggles against lefties last season were well-documented, so Grichuk would be a welcome addition in that regard. But for fans who were holding out hope for Bregman, a second edition of Rob Refsnyder is understandably a bit disappointing.
But it’s undoubtedly better to be upset Grichuk isn’t Bregman than to be upset that the team signed no one at all. If Bregman and Grichuk sign elsewhere, panic could ensue.