Yankees could swoop in and steal free agent infielder off market if price drops
01/25/2025 01:33 PM
Third baseman Alex Bregman remains unsigned with less than a month until Spring Training, and though the New York Yankees have indicated that they will not be heavily pursuing him, they could still sign him given the latest developments around his free agency.
Alex Bregman remains unsigned with less than a month left in the offseason
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that the Boston Red Sox remain interested in the third baseman, but there's a major caveat preventing a deal from taking place. Bregman wants a long-term deal that spans at least five years, while the Red Sox are unwilling to surpass that threshold.
Given his volatility in recent years, it is evident that teams are reluctant to commit to an aging player who is exiting his prime for the long term. With the impasse that has occurred in his free agency, even his old team – the Houston Astros – have re-engaged in talks with Bregman and are willing to move Jose Altuve to left field to bring him back.
As for the Yankees, their needs are more urgent than the Red Sox. They were just in the World Series, and now they are trying to build a good enough team to make it back there despite losing Juan Soto in free agency.
The Yankees could snag Bregman at an affordable price
They have a glaring issue in the infield, as their internal options are simply not good enough for them. Bregman could help fulfill that hole if the Yankees decide they want to restart talks with him, but it would need to be at an affordable price.
New York has made their intentions of shedding payroll clear this winter, and they are still looking for someone to take on Marcus Stroman's contract. The Yankees cannot afford to handcuff themselves to a contract that could potentially age poorly.
Therefore, if Bregman's price drops as more time passes, the Yankees could pounce on an opportunity to land a major upgrade at a decent price. Ultimately, the main targets still appear to be the Red Sox and Astros, so New York would have to climb significant hurdles to sign him.
