Red Sox lose Alex Bregman to Cubs, who reportedly sign him to $175 million deal

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were hoping to bring Bregman back to Boston, but lost out to Chicago.

The Alex Bregman sweepstakes are over, and the Red Sox weren’t able to retain their All-Star from 2025.

Bregman and the Chicago Cubs came to an agreement on a five-year, $175 million deal on Saturday night, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Bregman was arguably the top remaining free agent this offseason, and Boston never lost interest in bringing him back after a successful first season with the team. Alex Cora said as recently as Saturday morning that he would love to have Bregman back, but that the ball was ultimately “in his court.”

The Red Sox signed Bregman to a three-year deal last offseason, but the former Gold Glove winner was reportedly seeking a longer-term deal and opted to hit free agency, having raised his stock in 2025.

It had been reported recently that the Red Sox made an “aggressive” offer to keep Bregman. Boston made Bregman a five-year offer, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported. But the value of the offer is unknown.

Now that Bregman is off the table, Craig Breslow will likely search for other free-agent infield reinforcements. The Red Sox are still in need of another right-handed bat or two to help balance their lineup, and they’re much thinner in the infield than the outfield or bullpen.

Boston has been linked to Blue Jays All-Star free agent Bo Bichette. The Red Sox are expected to turn their attention to Bichette, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported.