{"id":24321,"date":"2025-02-08T06:31:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T06:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=24321"},"modified":"2025-02-08T06:31:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T06:31:39","slug":"breaking-red-sox-turning-to-nolan-arenado-after-alex-bregman-bidding-war-is-this-the-last-straw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=24321","title":{"rendered":"“BREAKING: Red Sox Turning to Nolan Arenado After Alex Bregman Bidding War\u2014Is This the Last Straw?”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Spring training begins next week and the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix to acquire two veteran righty infielders by two different means.<\/p>\n

They could spend for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman or trade for Nolan Arenado from the seemingly desperate Cardinals. Neither is a perfect fit for the roster and some shuffling would be required to add either player to the infield, but their bats may be worth the cost.<\/p>\n

The Red Sox would prefer to sign Bregman<\/a>\u00a0than trade for Arenado to bolster their batting order, according to John Denton of MLB.com. Bregman’s market is small, with the Astros, Blue Jays, Cubs, Tigers and Sox in the mix for his services, but none of the teams seem willing to meet his asking price of six to seven years at $200 million. Houston increased its offer to the third baseman on Feb. 6, but the hike is still not enough to entice him into re-signing.<\/p>\n

Denton characterized the Sox’s pursuit of Bregman as a “bidding war.” After the front office’s many statements indicating it planned to go above and beyond to improve the team this year, it has no excuse for losing.<\/p>\n

Red Sox reportedly prefer to sign Alex Bregman instead of trading for Nolan Arenado<\/h2>\n

Not only is Arenado three years older than Bregman, but it would require more movement to fit him into Boston’s plans. The Red Sox organization promised Rafael Devers, the unwilling “face of the franchise,” a few years at third base after he signed his 10-year extension in 2022. Arenado would need to play third and Masataka Yoshida would have to move to the outfield to shift Devers to designated hitter and keep Triston Casas’ bat in the lineup.<\/p>\n

Boston’s manager Alex Cora, a former coach of Bregman’s, said he always envisioned the infielder as a second baseman, a position which the Sox have struggled to field consistently since Dustin Pedroia’s injury that eventually led to his retirement. Bregman could slot in at second base and the Red Sox wouldn’t have to rush Kristian Campbell to the big leagues after just two years in the minors.<\/p>\n

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