FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bregman and the Boston Red Sox finalized a $120 million, three-year contract on Saturday.
Bregman gets a $5 million signing bonus, a $35 million salary this season and $40 million in each of the following two years, with some of the money deferred. He can opt out after the 2025 and 2026 seasons to become a free agent again.
He is likely to shift from third base to second with the Red Sox, who already have All-Star slugger Rafael Devers at the hot corner.
“A huge addition,” said shortstop Trevor Story, who considered playing for the Houston Astros before he signed with Boston three years ago. "A guy that’s won, brings a certain amount of intensity to our clubhouse and some leadership.
“I've known Alex. We've gotten close over the last few years. It was cool because he was kind of recruiting me to Houston, and now the roles had reversed. I was recruiting him pretty hard to come here. It's great to see that we got it done."
Bregman took some swings in batting practice, fielded grounders and signed autographs on Saturday.
The Red Sox plan to formally introduce him at a news conference on Sunday.
Boston placed left-hander Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day injured list to open a roster spot. Sandoval is recovering from internal-brace surgery on his UCL last June 26.
The 30-year-old Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during nine years with Houston, is coming off one of his poorest offensive seasons. He hit .260 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs in the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract, also winning his first Gold Glove.
Bregman has 19 postseason home runs, tied for sixth in major league history. He was selected by Houston with the second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, made his big league debut a year later and hit .284 with 19 homers, 71 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2017.
He had four homers and 10 RBIs in the postseason as the Astros won their first World Series title, a championship marred when a Major League Baseball investigation revealed the team used banned electronics to steal opponents’ signs.
Bregman was fifth in AL MVP voting in 2018 and second to Mike Trout in 2019, Bregman’s two most productive years at the plate. He batted .286 with 31 homers, 103 RBIs and a major league-leading 51 doubles in 2018, then set career highs the following season with a .296 average, 41 homers, 112 RBIs and a major league-leading 119 walks.
He walked just 44 times last year with a 23.6% chase rate, his highest since 2017.
Bregman has a .272 average with 191 homers and 663 RBIs in nine big league seasons.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Associated Press
