Alex Bregman rumors: AL team all-in, Red Sox connection, Scott Boras factor

Despite a down year by his standards, Alex Bregman is expected to receive a large contract on the free-agent market, which has all but taken the incumbent Houston Astros out of the running. While Bregman will always have to outrun the Astros sign-stealing scandal from the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he's a talented player. To some extent, getting out of Houston could do him a favor in that department.

Last season, Bregman has an OPS of .768 as well as 26 home runs. He plays excellent defense at third base and offers some flexibility, as he's willing to move off the corner if asked. Bregman is a Scott Boras client, which means he'll be gutted for as much money as humanly possible. Fit matters too, but it just so happens that organizations willing to spend THIS much money are typically the ones in win-now mode. Who would've thought?

Bregman's market is moving rapidly, and he could very well sign before I'm done writing this story. Here are the latest updates.

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An awkward Scott Boras fit

Scott Boras is busy this time of year. The most famous agent in the sport has a long list of clients looking to sign before or shortly after the new year. Boras's offseason started with Juan Soto, who signed a 16-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. These days, his two biggest priorities are Bregman and Pete Alonso.

There is some crossover with Alonso and Bregman, most notably with the New York Mets, which have maintained some semblance of contact with both players. The New York Yankees and Houston Astros were once feasible fits for both, but have since moved on. Christian Walker signed with the Astros, thus eliminating the need for Alonso and taking up much of their capital. The Yankees could still sign Bregman to play second or third base, but there haven't been many whispers of late.

Boston Red Sox connection to Alex Bregman

The Red Sox have maintained interest in Bregman from the jump, but it's one of their newest additions who could help them seal the deal. The Red Sox signed Walker Buehler earlier this winter to complete their starting rotation. Buehler is valuable in his own right, but helping Boston sign Bregman would increase his importance.

Bregman and Buehler have faced off in the World Series on multiple occasions, but off the field they're good friends. Heck, the pair even own a horse together – March of Time, which raced and won in the Santa Anita Derby. The horse is trained by renowned horse trainer Bob Baffert.

A horse will not be the deciding factor in Bregman's free-agent decision. No, that will come down to money, destination and an organization's commitment to winning. However, it can't hurt to have another relationship in the Red Sox favor.

An Alex Bregman favorite has emerged, and it's not what we expected

The A.J. Hinch-Astros connection may finally pay some dividends for the Detroit Tigers. The Gritty Tigs have been active this offseason, signing Gleyber Torres in the past week. Detroit is considering moving Colt Keith over to first base, thus filling another void. They can complete a talented infield should they add Bregman, though his contract would admittedly be a little out of their comfort zone.

Per the Detroit Free Press, "in fact, the Tigers appear to be all-in on Bregman. Both sides are engaged in ongoing discussions with mutual interest, but there has been a gap in value as Bregman's market narrows."

Bregman is not the only top-flight free agent the Tigers are pursuing, as Anthony Santander appears to be their backup plan should the former Astro sign elsewhere. However, Santander is favored to sign with the Blue Jays or Angels as of this writing. If Bregman signs with another suitor in the coming days, that could change. A Plan C for the Tigers could be Ha-Seong Kim, the former Padres infielder.

If the Tigers are really all-in, they won't let money get in the way of their preferred free-agent option. Still, it's unclear exactly what financial resources they have at their disposal.