Bregman's position for Boston remains a source of intrigue
Ian Browne
@IanMBrowneFORT MYERS, Fla. -- Before taking his first round of batting practice as a member of the Red Sox, Alex Bregman signed his first autographs through a chain-link fence on Field 3 at the Fenway South complex at about 10:45 on Saturday morning.
¡°Two more and then I¡¯ve got to stretch,¡± Bregman told the enthusiastic fans. ¡°I¡¯ll be around here all spring.¡±
However, it remains to be seen where Bregman will be on the diamond when the Red Sox start playing Grapefruit League games in one week.
Bregman and the Red Sox agreed to a three-year, $120-million contract that includes an opt-out clause after each of the first two seasons (as well as some deferrals) on Wednesday night, and the deal was announced on Saturday morning.
But there are still moving parts that manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox's front office are working through. Bregman won the American League¡¯s Gold Glove Award at third base last season.
That also happens to be the position Boston¡¯s highest-profile player (Rafael Devers) has played his entire career.
There has been speculation about Bregman moving to second base, a position the Red Sox have lacked stability at for years.
However, the fact that Cora wasn¡¯t ready to commit to that leaves open the possibility Bregman could stay at the hot corner, with Devers moving to designated hitter or first base.
¡°We'll talk about that later on,¡± said Cora. ¡°Right now, there's a lot of stuff going on as far as where we're going to be roster-wise, and we'll make the decision when we have to make it.¡±
Masataka Yoshida, who had right labrum surgery last October, is the incumbent DH. While Yoshida could be back by Opening Day, it isn¡¯t certain.
Triston Casas, who has a promising power bat but missed four months last season due to a left rib cage injury, is slotted in at first base.
Bregman didn¡¯t speak to the media on Saturday, as his press conference -- one in which he will be flanked by agent Scott Boras, Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow -- is slated for 8:30 on Sunday morning at the Fenway South complex.
Don¡¯t expect Bregman¡¯s position to be revealed by then either. Cora did commit to his big new right-handed bat getting slotted into the top third of the batting order. Expect Devers and Bregman to hit second and third in whichever order.
Bregman and the infielders didn¡¯t participate in full fielding drills on Saturday, which was an informal workout for position players. The first full-squad workout is slated for Monday.
There was some light defensive work on a small turf field, in which Bregman took about five throws at second base.
If Bregman does make the switch, Cora has no doubt it can be seamless. In his career, Bregman has played 129 games at shortstop. Typically, anyone athletic enough to play short would have no problem at second base, where Bregman has played nine times, including two starts.
¡°He has quick hands, good footwork,¡± said Cora. ¡°He's done it before. I know it was just a few games, but if you look at the highlights or whatever, he's very clean. He¡¯s a good infielder. He uses his feet the right way. He has good hands. The arm plays.¡±
There are also merits to playing Bregman at a position he is already elite at, while moving the heavy-hitting Devers to a spot that would take less of a toll on his body. Last season, Devers was hampered by issues in both shoulders that limited his production down the stretch. In 2022, Devers fought through hamstring issues and also saw his numbers decline late in the season.
While Cora wasn¡¯t ready to declare anything, he was more than willing to discuss all the options.
¡°[Bregman¡¯s] a Gold Glove third baseman,¡± Cora said. ¡°He hasn't played [much] second base in the big leagues. I do believe he can be a Gold Glove second baseman too. Like I said, there's other stuff that comes into play as far as roster construction and what's better for the team and what can be the best lineup, and competition comes into play. He'll play in Texas [on Opening Day on March 27]. I guarantee you that. He¡¯ll be in the lineup. Where? We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±
Devers isn¡¯t the only factor that complicates the decision of where Bregman fits best on the Red Sox.
Kristian Campbell, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 overall prospect, is trying to win a job on the Opening Day roster, and second base is his best fit given the current alignment of the roster.
¡°At the end of the day, we're going to have to make decisions roster-wise,¡± said Cora. ¡°There's going to be tough decisions overall. Guys are going to be sent down. Guys are going to play different positions, you know. So that's part of being a manager. You have to obviously make decisions to win games, so that¡¯s part of it.¡±