'Let's go hang out on the bus': Bregman joins prospects on road trip

SARASOTA, Fla. ¨C There¡¯s a general rule of thumb in the early weeks of Spring Training, particularly in the Grapefruit League, where many of the road games include bus rides lasting 90 minutes or more: The veteran stars get their at-bats at home, and the young players take their show on the road.

Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, Boston's Nos. 1 and 3 prospects, respectively, as rated by MLB Pipeline, dared Alex Bregman to abandon tradition for a day.

And for Monday¡¯s 6-6 tie in Sarasota against the Orioles, Bregman took them up on the offer, serving as the designated hitter.

¡°Marcelo and Roman were giving me a hard time and asking me if I even had any gray pants in my locker,¡± said Bregman.

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Though Anthony had to head back to Fort Myers when he felt ill upon his arrival to Ed Smith Stadium, Bregman had a fun day of work with Mayer and Kristian Campbell, the team¡¯s No. 2 prospect.

¡°Yeah, he's the man,¡± said Mayer. ¡°I mean, we were talking about it, me and Roman, and we noticed that the veterans don¡¯t normally come out to road games a lot, so we were giving him a little bit of crap. And he's like, ¡®Dude, I'll go to the next one. Like, let's go hang out on the bus.¡¯ Next thing you know he¡¯s on the bus with us.¡±

It has been interesting to watch the way Bregman, who signed a three-year, $120 million contract that includes opt-outs after the ¡®25 and ¡®26 seasons, has gravitated toward the team¡¯s ¡°Big 3 prospects¡± since his arrival to Red Sox camp.

There have been lengthy meetings between Bregman and the trio at the ballpark and off-site confabs over meals.

¡°It¡¯s important. He understands what comes with the contract,¡± said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. ¡°People focus on the opt-outs and all that, but he¡¯s all in. He understands that they're a big part of not only what we¡¯re trying to accomplish this year, but in the future.¡±

Bregman is playing the short and long game. He knows that the top prospects are likely to impact the Red Sox this season, and are even more vital to the club¡¯s success down the line. And for that reason, Bregman is imparting whatever wisdom and leadership he can.

When Bregman was in negotiations with the Red Sox, he was already collecting data on the team¡¯s top prospects.

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¡°He was very vocal about it when we met with him,¡± said Cora. ¡°He wanted to know [about them]. He not only asked about the position players, he asked about where we were pitching-wise, and how we see it in the future. Very smart questions from a very smart [guy]. And I'm happy that he's doing everything possible. And the thing is that this is not fake. He¡¯s doing this because this is who he is. I love the fact that he does that.¡±

Nobody is loving it more than the team¡¯s prized trio of prospects, who have created a buzz similar to a decade ago, when Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. were punching their tickets to Boston.

¡°He¡¯s just a baseball junkie, and loves talking about the game,¡± said Mayer on Bregman. ¡°So he just loves asking questions, dropping knowledge on us. I feel like a lot of it is just to get to know us and the type of players that we are, so we just get a better understanding of each other when we're playing together.¡±

Asked to provide individual scouting reports on the team¡¯s top three prospects, Bregman didn¡¯t blink.

¡°Definitely mature beyond his years, really good approach at the plate,¡± Bregman said of Anthony. ¡°He can obviously hit the ball really hard, but also has a good strike zone and takes his walks. I think he¡¯s going to be an elite hitter in the game.¡±

What about Mayer?

¡°He's a hell of a player all around, swinging the bat, and he¡¯s so fluid defensively,¡± Bregman said. ¡°He¡¯s always in rhythm catching the ball, and physical. Just an all-around baseball player. Loves to play. Grinder.¡±

And Campbell?

¡°The same [as Mayer]. Advanced approach at the plate. Obviously high on-base percentage guy,¡± Bregman said. ¡°Can hit the ball hard to all fields. Really, really good athlete. Can play multiple positions.¡±

And the veteran with two World Series rings, who is hoping to add to his collection in Boston, added this.

¡°All three of them, they're just gamers,¡± Bregman said. ¡°They love the game, and they love playing the game and talking the game, and those are the guys you want to be around.¡±