It sure seems like Scott Boras has cost Alex Bregman a lot of money already

Alex Bregman turned down a six-year, $156 million extension from the Houston Astros early in the offseason. The logic, on the surface, was simple. He could get more money and more years elsewhere.

Since then, Houston has pivoted to Isaac Paredes, and the market has systematically evaporated before Bregman's own eyes. He is still going to get a nice payday, but there's a real chance he can't even beat Houston's number in the end. Considering Bregman's longstanding history with the Astros, one has to think he is reconsidering his choices.

The man behind it all, of course, is MLB superagent Scott Boras, who is hiding behind Juan Soto's $765 million contract like a convenient (and very expensive) shield. Never mind that he couldn't secure long-term deals for Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, or Matt Chapman after career years. Just look at that big number Juan Soto got!

Bregman is suffering because of Boras' well-documented stubbornness. He wants max years and max dollars, and if he can't get it, Boras will wait — even into spring training, which completely derailed Jordan Montgomery's 2024 campaign and almost did the same to Blake Snell. There's a nonzero chance Bregman ends up settling for the infamous Boras special of a few years with opt-outs, so that he might test the market again next winter.

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Alex Bregman's waning free agency market reflects Scott Boras' misguided strategy

Bregman has played the waiting game, which historically just doesn't work in free agency. Teams tend to be less financially flexible as the offseason progresses, not more. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand laid out the players in the Bregman sweepstakes — Boston, New York (Mets), Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago (Cubs).

Let's just run down the list real quick.

The Mets gave Juan Soto $765 million and are still trying to re-sign Pete Alonso. Toronto just handed $90 million to Anthony Santander. The Tigers? They never spend, especially not in the Bregman's desired $200 million range. The Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker and could barely agree to contract terms out of arbitration. He's a free agent next winter, so don't expect Jed Hoyer to tie up more cap space in Bregman.

Boston is the only team that really makes logical and emotional sense. Bregman can reunite with Alex Cora, his former bench coach, and join the one aggressive free agency player that hasn't landed a big fish yet (although Walker Buehler didn't sign for nothing, and Boston is hoping to extend Garrett Crochet here soon).

Rather than signing early in free agency, when checkbooks were unencumbered and front offices were itching to spend, Bregman has waited until the market is dry and tentative. Just great work from his agent.

The original MLB Trade Rumors prediction was seven years and $182 million for Bregman, which gives him an extra year over positional peer Matt Chapman (six years, $151 million). Frankly, he would be lucky to get that. Boston, and maybe even the endlessly liquid Mets, could still pony up with an aggressive offer, but Bregman is dangerously close to whiffing on all the ideal landing spots.

Scott Boras might need to spend his offseason rethinking strategy. Not every free agent is Juan Soto.