Boston Red Sox fans' worst fears might actually come true, as Alex Bregman's name topped the list of ESPN's Jeff Passan's top 50 MLB trade candidates ahead of this year's trade deadline. The odds of Bregman getting traded are extremely slim, as Passan made clear in his piece, but they aren't zero.
The Red Sox are not a lock to remain in postseason contention, and Bregman can opt out of his contract after this season. If Boston thinks it'll miss out on the postseason and fears that Bregman might leave for nothing, trading him would make some sense.
And if Bregman is remotely available, these four contenders should be doing whatever they realistically can to get him.
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4) New York Yankees
To be perfectly clear, if the odds of this happening aren't zero, they're probably a shade above it. The Red Sox almost certainly won't trade a player of Bregman's caliber to the New York Yankees, barring an absurd overpay, and I'm not convinced the Yankees would want him, justified or not, after he was on the 2017 Houston Astros team that cheated its way to an AL pennant over New York. With that being said, it'd be impossible to deny that this is a match made in heaven.
For what feels like at least half a decade, the Yankees have needed a third baseman. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been playing the position for much of this season with Oswaldo Cabrera sidelined and DJ LeMahieu taking over at the keystone, but he's really a second baseman. That's where Bregman can come in.
This Yankees lineup is pretty heavy on lefties. Adding Bregman's right-handed bat would give them more balance and another righty to fear other than Aaron Judge. Bregman would also come to the Bronx with an absurd amount of postseason success.
Again, it's probably not happening, but never say never. If he's available, Brian Cashman should at least try.
3) Detroit Tigers
This one also probably isn't happening. The Detroit Tigers very publicly pursued Alex Bregman this past offseason, but the star third baseman wound up signing in Boston for less guaranteed money and less security. Yes, Fenway Park is a great fit for him, but it also felt as if he had little to no interest in ending up in Detroit. Tigers fans certainly let him know how they felt about his decision. Given that history, it's hard to believe Detroit would pay up to acquire a player who could opt out next winter.
Still, while the Tigers probably won't pursue Bregman after being spurned, they should. They, much like the Yankees, are left-handed heavy. Adding Bregman's bat would allow the Tigers to comfortably split up lefty sluggers Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, and would give a young team a battle-tested veteran to lean on in their postseason push.
Bregman would fit perfectly while reuniting with former manager A.J. Hinch. It'd be risky, knowing that Bregman can opt out in a few months if he truly doesn't want to be there, but adding a player of Bregman's caliber could be the difference in a pennant race. The Tigers should be all-in. If Bregman is available, there's a good chance they can't do any better.
2) New York Mets
The New York Mets entered the year thinking they had third base locked down long-term, but the reality is anything but. Mark Vientos has not come close to matching his offensive production from last year's breakout, and his defense has regressed to the point where it's safe to wonder whether the Mets can afford to play him at the hot corner.
Brett Baty is a really strong defender and has shown flashes of stardom, but he has a .670 OPS this season and a .622 OPS in his career. Never has he shown he can be even average at the plate. Other options like Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña have shown little to nothing at the MLB level as well. The Mets hoped that a young infielder would take third base and run with it, but that has not happened.
Bregman would be a monumental upgrade for New York. Can you imagine adding him to a lineup that already consists of one of the most vaunted trios in the game in Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso? I'm not sure how willing David Stearns would be to trade high-end prospect capital for a player who might walk months after being acquired, but with how this offense has performed this season, he should be willing to take a big swing.
1) Chicago Cubs
There's no better fit out there for Bregman than the Chicago Cubs. They, like the Mets, hoped that a young infielder would take the third-base reins and run with them, but Matt Shaw has just not been it. He struggled mightily to begin the year to the point where Chicago sent him back down to Triple-A, and while he looked good for a brief period after his recall, he has just two hits in his last 28 at-bats.
Shaw hasn't been the only third baseman to struggle for Chicago this season. In fact, Cubs third basemen as a whole are tied for 28th in the Majors with a 58 WRC+ and dead last with -0.5 fWAR. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say they've had the worst third-base production in the game.
Bregman's contract status might be concerning for most, but it shouldn't scare the Cubs away. Acquiring Bregman would not only drastically improve their World Series odds for this season, but it'd give Shaw a chance to take the rest of the season to develop in the Minors. If Bregman departs, they can simply turn to Shaw as a replacement when he might be more ready. If he opts into his contract, the Cubs can either trade Shaw or use him as a second baseman and trade Nico Hoerner. The options are endless. If he's available, Jed Hoyer should be the first executive to call.