MLB Insider Wonders If Blue Jays’ Alex Bregman Interest Is Real
Suddenly, MLB insiders have made it known over the past week or so that Alex Bregman has a couple of new suitors.
Conveniently, and yes, perhaps even suspiciously, the Arizona Diamondbacks were said to have entered the Bregman sweepstakes in mid-December, right around the time that reports were beginning to surface that Bregman’s market wasn’t as bountiful as supposed.
Things got even fishier over the weekend when The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Toronto Blue Jays have added themselves to the Bregman conversation (he’d be a good fit in Toronto, you have to admit).
What is real, what is fake? Who is actually interested in Alex Bregman? We’re pretty sure that the Red Sox are, and always have been. The D-Backs’ interest make some sense if you think about the possibility that they could lose Ketel Marte via trade.
But when it comes to Toronto, it’s hard to figure out why they all of the sudden have Bregman interest, now that the offseason is six or seven weeks old.
This is where a new take from FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray comes into play. Appearing as a guest on Foul Territory on Monday, Murray wondered aloud whether the Blue Jays are making a show of interest in Bregman merely as a way to put pressure on Bo Bichette to re-sign with them.
“A Bichette reunion is very much on the table with them,” Murray said. “It’s something that they would like. He’s obviously a homegrown player there, someone that they know inside and out. To me, I think that fit makes a whole lot of sense for them.”
“We’re starting to see their name connected to Bregman now,” Murray continued. “I mean, it makes sense, but part of me wonders, okay, maybe that is real, or maybe that’s trying to pressure a guy like Bichette into seeing that and being like, ‘Oh, crap, maybe I have to take their offer now.’ I don’t know (if that’s true), but that’s something that I’ve kind of considered.”
Bichette, 27, is four years younger than Bregman. The Red Sox have also been connected to Bo in rumors that began earlier than the recent Bregman-Blue Jays buzz. Most fans and pundits assumed heading into the offseason that both of these guys would re-sign with their incumbent clubs without a ton of complication.
The reality of the situation has been slightly different, but it would still be incredibly surprising if Bichette and Bregman ended up swapping teams this winter.