Alex Bregman Fenway Park numbers should have Red Sox fans over the moon

Alex Bregman turned a down year with the Houston Astros into $40 million annually from the Boston Red Sox. He is now the fifth-highest paid player in MLB. He is signed up for three years in total, with an opt-out after each season and a significant portion of deferred money.

It's no surprise that Bregman got his bag, despite a wonky 2024 campaign in Houston. His services were coveted around the league, with at least four teams bidding against each other for the two-time All-Star at third base. Joining forces with Rafael Devers in Boston, the expectation is that Bregman will convert to second base. He should bat second in the lineup, sandwiched between Jarren Duran and Devers.

This is a landmark moment for the Red Sox, who went into the offseason spouting promises of a more ambitious approach. After whiffing on Juan Soto, Max Fried, and Corbin Burnes, doubts started to creep up for Red Sox fans. In the end, however, Craig Breslow came through.

In addition to the Bregman signing, Boston traded for Garrett Crochet and inked Walker Buehler to a team-friendly deal. The Red Sox now have the pitching arsenal and the offensive firepower necessary to at least make the Soto-less Yankees sweat atop the division. It has been too long since Boston operated like a team serious about winning.

What is extra sweet, however, is just how impactful the Bregman addition figures to be.

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Alex Bregman's history at Fenway Park is extremely encouraging for Red Sox

Boston's lineup is chock full of quality left-handed hitters, but Bregman provides essential balance from the right-handed side of the plate. Last season was a mild letdown for the 30-year-old, who slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs, but Bregman's track record is strong. It also helps that he has historically dominated in Fenway.

That Green Monster stands mighty tall in left field, but Fenway is quietly a great hitter's park. Bregman in particular mashes when the Monster graces the horizon. He has a 1.240 career OPS in Boston, with seven home runs and nine doubles across 98 career plate appearances in the historic ballpark.

Those numbers will obviously come down to earth a bit with a larger sample size, but it's not unreasonable to expect a new level of production from Bregman in a Red Sox uniform.

He has been part of some great lineups in Houston, but batting second with Devers offering protection in the No. 3 hole is a perfect setup. Bregman will get 81 games per season at the ideal ballpark for his swing, with a strong pitching staff behind him and multiple All-Stars around him in the lineup.

We shouldn't underrate the Alex Cora factor either. Cora was Bregman's bench coach once upon a time in Houston. There's a bond there, with Cora taking the opportunity to wax poetic about Bregman's potential addition on more than one occasion this winter. With a manager who expresses such strong faith in him, Bregman should be empowered to succeed.

There's a reason Bregman settled for a short-term deal with opt-outs (aside from the comically inflated AAV). It gives him a chance to cash in on strong performance, ideally lining up a more substantial long-term contract before his prime window closes. No team would have better positioned Bregman for explosive individual production than Boston.

This is a seamless match for player and team. Folks... get excited.