The MLB offseason is upon us, and that means that some of the league's top players will be signing new deals in free agency, either re-upping with their existing team or leaving town for greener pastures.
DraftKings has odds posted for where Alex Bregman will land for the 2026 season, with his most recent team among the top suitors for his services
Alex Bregman Next Team Odds, Predictions
Odds are via DraftKings.
Alex Bregman Free Agency Breakdown
Career
Bregman debuted for the Astros back in 2016 as a 22-year-old, but broke out in his 2017 rookie campaign to the tune of a .284/.352/.475 slash line, a 123 wRC+, and a 4.7 fWAR, which he topped off with a World Series ring. He continued to improve from there, registering 7.9 and 8.3 fWAR in the following two seasons, and finishing runner-up in the MVP voting to Mike Trout in 2019.
In Bregman, it looked like the Astros had found their franchise third baseman. He was one of the best hitters in baseball, marrying an ability to avoid strikeouts with prolific home run power and patience at the plate. He played a darn good third base as well, racking up 9 OAA from 2016 to 2019, after which he inked a five-year, $100 million extension to stay in town.
He never quite repeated his otherworldly 2018 and 2019 seasons, but Bregman remained a stalwart on competitive Astros teams for those five years, slashing .261/.350/.441 with a 124 wRC+, while striking out just 12.7% of the time. However, in the final season of his deal, there were some red flags raised. Bregman's walk rate dipped to 6.9%, well below the league average and his worst since 2017. His power had also been trending downward, a bad sign at age 30.
With much of their World Series-winning core out the door and Bregman demanding top dollar, the Astros seemed prepared to do the impossible — let their franchise third baseman walk in free agency.
2025 Season
And walk Bregman did, right into the open arms of the Boston Red Sox via a three-year, $120 million deal that contained opt-outs after the first two seasons. It wasn't the long-term deal he likely wanted, but a $40 million average annual value and the option to return to the market when he wanted was too good to pass up.
Bregman rewarded the Red Sox for their expenditure, slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 homers in his first 51 games. Even though he suffered a severe right quad strain in late May that held him out for the better part of two months, Bregman finished with a more than respectable 125 wRC+ and 3.5 fWAR in 114 total games, while bringing his walk rate back up to a respectable 10.3%.
Despite the injury, Bregman had himself a year in Boston, so much so that he passed up the remaining two years and $80 million on his deal in hopes of getting a longer-term contract. Whether it's in Boston or elsewhere, Bregman has shown that he deserves to get paid, again.
Top Suitors
Boston Red Sox
Bregman fit the Boston Red Sox like a glove, so much so that the franchise was willing to alienate incumbent third baseman Rafael Devers and then trade him mid-season to accommodate the newcomer. Just as he did with the Crawford Boxes in Houston's left field, the right-handed hitting Bregman was able to take advantage of the Green Monster at Fenway Park, pinging balls off it and sending balls over it all season long.
The Red Sox don't have many good options to fill third base if Bregman leaves; Fangraphs' Roster Resource currently pencils in rookie Marcelo Mayer there, but based on his season-ending injury and lack of production with the major league roster, the Sox should consider having him start in the minors before committing to him full-time at any position.
As a 31-year-old, Bregman won't command the same contract in dollars or years that some of the younger guys like Kyle Tucker will, so there's no reason that a big-market team like the Red Sox couldn't open their wallet for him. They were willing to pay him $40 million a year ago, and with a longer deal, they'll be able to shorten that average annual value.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are an interesting option for a couple of reasons. First, it would reunite Bregman with his former Astros manager in AJ Hinch, who has successfully helped bring the Tigers out of a half-decade period of obscurity.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, the Tigers had some of the worst third base production in baseball last year, with their combination of Zach McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez, Colt Keith, and others putting up just 1.1 fWAR and a 76 wRC+. Bregman would be a better option even if he regresses from last season, and it's not like the Tigers have a crowded payroll that they'd need to fit him in with.
It remains to be seen whether the Tigers' ownership is serious enough to spend real money on supplementing the roster, but if they decide to do so, Bregman would fit their needs.
New York Mets
It seems weird to say that a roster that has committed around $1 billion to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor needs to spend more on their lineup, yet here we are. Soto and Lindor were great last season, each smacking 30 or more home runs while swiping 30 or more bags. The rest of the lineup, aside from the departing Pete Alonso, was hit-or-miss.
When on the field, Mark Vientos looked like a much different player than the one who helped lead the Mets' Cinderella run in 2024, and he missed a lot of time due to injury. Brett Baty put up his best season as a pro, but his 111 wRC+ bat is not capable of being the third-best on a team with championship aspirations. The tandem of those two and some others sprinkled in was also one of the worst defensive third base groups in the league, tallying -13 OAA on the year.
Signing Bregman would allow Vientos to move to first base, and Baty to assume more of a utility role. Plus, Bregman's right-handed bat will help make up for the loss of Alonso, who would likely be squeezed out of the Mets' plans with the third baseman on board. Simply put, the Mets have a clear need for an upgrade in the infield, they have money to spend, and they're a much better team with Bregman under contract than they are without him.
