Red Sox game of Chicken with Alex Bregman, Scott Boras seems entirely too risky

The Boston Red Sox have been active this offseason, bringing in guys like Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Aroldis Chapman as they attempt to get back to the postseason for just the second time since 2018. Those moved should help a pitching staff that needed a boost, but they've done nothing to address their lineup.

The Red Sox were in on Juan Soto but watched him sign with the New York Mets. They were linked to Teoscar Hernandez but missed out on him for the second straight offseason. Now, as most of the high-end options are off the board, there's no better fit in Beantown than Alex Bregman.

Bregman might be coming off a down year, but still slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 145 games for the Houston Astros while playing Gold Glove defense at the hot corner. Whether he sticks at third base and moves Rafael Devers to DH or ends up playing second base regularly (Triston Casas should not be traded at all), his bat would be a welcome addition to this left-handed heavy lineup.

Not only would Bregman give Boston some much-needed lineup balance, but it's hard to think of a ballpark better suited for him than Fenway Park. The numbers back it up. The 30-year-old has slashed .375/.490/.750 with seven home runs and 15 RBI in 21 games at Fenway Park in his career. The seven home runs he's hit in Beantown are tied for the third-most he's hit at any ballpark, trailing only Minute Maid Park in Houston and the Oakland Coliseum, where he's played three times the games.

Despite being a perfect fit for the Red Sox, the team appears to be content waiting for him to sign with them on their terms. This game of chicken can work. It has in the past. It also can come back to bite them.

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Red Sox are playing too dangerous of a game with Alex Bregman

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($) recalled a time when the Red Sox had their eyes on a high-end free agent not too long ago, waited out the market, and got the player on their terms.

"Seven years ago, the Red Sox employed a similar strategy with another Boras free agent, J.D. Martinez, who reportedly sought $200 million. Martinez, primarily a DH, had a limited market. The Red Sox held firm, and wound up signing him on Feb. 26 to a five-year, $110 million guarantee," Rosenthal wrote.

If this happens with Bregman, that's great news. The Red Sox need to sign him, and it doesn't matter whether it's in January or February when he ends up signing on the dotted line. However, is this a worthwhile game of chicken to play?

The Red Sox are not alone in the Bregman chase. Teams like the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays loom and are in need of Bregman's bat as well. If the New York Mets fail to re-sign Pete Alonso, they might also turn their attention to Bregman. The fact that other suitors exist should worry Boston. He can sign elsewhere at a moment's notice.

There's no disputing that the Red Sox have improved this offseason. Crochet is an ace, Buehler has real bounce-back potential, and Chapman should be productive at the back end of their bullpen. Still, this team isn't the favorite to win the AL East. They probably aren't the second-best team, either. Adding a player of Bregman's caliber, though, completely changes the equation. He gives them a chance to win the division for the first time since 2018, and in a weaker American League, they'd have a legitimate shot to win the AL Pennant.

Part of what made the Crochet trade such an exciting one was that he is owed peanuts relative to what he's actually worth. This opened the door to Boston actually spending the money that everyone knows that they have to sign a player like Bregman. It's tough to fathom why a deal hasn't happened yet, if this team is as serious about winning as they constantly say they are.

"If the Sox are playing a game of chicken with Boras, they had better win."

Rosenthal hit the nail on the head, here. If they are simply waiting for Bregman to sign with them on their terms, they better end up with that happening. If they end up waiting too long or are not even interested in signing him, that's such a terrible look for the entire organization.