Red Sox Alex Bregman-Bo Bichette Debate Rages Amid Surprise Update

While it isn’t exactly Coca Cola vs. Pepsi, the Alex Bregman-Bo Bichette debate rages amid some surprising developments for the Boston Red Sox.

It’s no secret chief baseball officer Craig Breslow wants to add a power bat to the lineup.

It’s also no secret the Red Sox remain linked to both Bregman and Bichette, the two-time All-Star shortstop from the Toronto Blue Jays.

It’s believed the Blue Jays aren’t hot to trot for either player after signing Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract.

Not so fast, my friends.

“The Blue Jays remain fully engaged in talks with infielders Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman, with outfielder Kyle Tucker also remaining a possibility,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.

The MLB insider says the Red Sox remain “the favorite” for Bregman.

However the “Foul Territory” podcast has a different take, thanks to former big-league general manager Jim Bowden.

“The Blue Jays told @JimBowdenGM that signing Kazuma Okamoto doesn’t take them out of the race for Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette, but it does for Alex Bregman. ‘It takes them out of doing both Tucker and Bichette, but it doesn’t take them out of doing one or the other.'”

As for Boston, Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam says what everyone is thinking.

“Either way, the Sox need to lengthen their lineup with a significant run-producing bat. Bregman also offers improved defense and a considerable off-field presence; Bichette is younger, puts the ball in play, and hits all kind of pitching,” McAdam writes.

“One or the other has to get done. Otherwise, the Red Sox consign themselves to the middle of the pack in the American League and will have wasted a prime opportunity,” McAdam concludes.

So does Masslive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

“We saw a year ago that big additions can happen in mid-February, and while it might not take that long for Breslow this time around, it’s clear he still wants to add a significant bat before Opening Day,” Cotillo says.

“The top two fits at this point appear to be two free agents (Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette) but it’ll likely come down to whether or not the Red Sox are willing to get uncomfortable with contract length. If neither of those guys signs, where would they pivot? It feels like a necessity to add either Bregman or Bichette,” Cotillo notes.

So where do things stand with Bregman?

“The Red Sox remain engaged with Bregman and his agents at Boras Corporation, sources said Saturday, but are also assessing potential alternatives as they have been all winter,” Cotillo reports. “One is longtime Blue Jay Bo Bichette, whose path back to Toronto isn’t blocked by the Okamoto move. Bregman and Bichette are the top two infielders remaining on the free agent market.

“On Friday, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the Red Sox had ‘an aggressive offer’ out to Bregman, who is thought to be prioritizing length of deal after settling for a short-term market a year ago,” Cotillo says.

Olney believes the Red Sox are willing to back up the Brink’s truck for Bregman.

“The Boston Red Sox want Bregman and have signaled a willingness to pay him big money — perhaps something in the range of what the Tigers offered him last spring, a six-year, $171.5 million deal,” Olney writes.

However the Red Sox aren’t the only club chasing Bregman. Nightengale reports the Chicago Cubs remain in the mix for the three-time All-Star third baseman. And that’s not all.

“Many believe the two sides — Boston and Bregman — need each other, given the leadership and production he supplied for the Red Sox last season,” according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “But free agents always want more than one serious suitor, so one executive put it this way: ‘If it was down to Toronto and Arizona before, maybe it’s now Boston or Arizona.'”

Should Boston pivot to Bichette, it will find a crowded market for the right-handed bat.

“The Phillies are among a number of big-market teams to have interest in Bo Bichette, an ultra young (27) free agent,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports.

“Yanks, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox and incumbent Jays, too. Bichette is the only player to hit .300 vs. fastballs, breaking balls and also changeups/splits,” Heyman adds.

“A lot of teams are interested in Bichette, but there seems to be a wide variation in what they’re willing to pay a player who is viewed by many evaluators as a future second baseman, rather than a shortstop,” Olney adds.

The only thing that’s certain for Breslow and the Red Sox is that it’s getting late early, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report in one month to spring training.