“Absurd Overpay”; “Sox Probably Offered $85M” – Fans Go Wild as Boston’s 5-Year Push for Alex Bregman Falls Short to Cubs’ Bigger Bid

The Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract, giving him an annual salary of $35 million through his age-36 season on Saturday. The contract has no opt outs and and comes with a no-trade clause for the three-time All-Star.

The Boston Red Sox seemed like the favorites for Bregman all offseason after he opted out of his player option for 2026-27, a three-year deal he signed with the club last year worth $120 million. He hit .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 114 games last year.

Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, were looking for a long-term deal in a similar annual salary range. According to insider Chris Costillo, the Red Sox were willing to give him the five-year deal, but the $35 million AAV ask was a step too far for Boston.

Red Sox fans flooded social media after the news broke. There were varied reactions on X.

Here are a few:

“Fine with this. 35 per year for him is an absurd overpay,” a fan wrote.

“Sox probably offered $85 mill,” a fan said in sarcasm.

“If the Sox actually offered Bregman 5 years going into his age 32 season then they lucked out by being outbid,” a fan noted.

“So, the premise that Red Sox don’t want to sign players aged 30+ on a long term contract has just been debunked. They are just cheap af,” a fan stated.

“That’s pretty pathetic,” a fan added.

Alex Bregman’s deal puts into question the Red Sox trading long-term third baseman Rafael Devers in the middle of the season in 2025 to the San Francisco Giants. Now with both Bregman and Devers gone, the team not only has to get creative to get a third baseman but also manage the loss in production that is expected to hit the team.

Where Does Alex Bregman Fit in The Cubs’ Long-Term Goals?

Alex Bregman fits into the Cubs’ infield that currently has Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Nico Hoerner at second base. His addition pushes out Matt Shaw to the bench, who debuted for the team in 2025. He hit .226/.295/.394 and a 93 wRC+ in 437 plate appearances and recorded a -1 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).

While Shaw develops his game, Bregman is definitely an offensive and defensive upgrade. His deal with the Cubs comes a year after they offered him a four-year, $115 million contract. It was unacceptable for Bregman, who also let go of a six-year $171.5 million deal from the Detroit Tigers, albeit with deferrals.

It seemed to have worked out well in the end for the 31-year-old and Boras, who are set to pocket $215 million in five years from their Red Sox and Cubs deals.