There’s new Red Sox intel on the Alex Bregman front

The Alex Bregman market remains a mystery, but the Red Sox remain in the thick of things, according to the latest update from ESPN's Buster Olney.

“I think Alex Bregman is gonna go back to the Red Sox," Olney said during an appearance on TSN's First Up last week. "From what I understand, the Red Sox have made an aggressive offer on him."

Word of an 'aggressive offer' from the Red Sox is the first positive development regarding the Bregman saga in some time. Last we had heard, the Bregman sweepstakes were intensifying from an interested party standpoint, with the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays among those entering the mix for the 31-year-old.

Some additional good news for the Red Sox on that front may have come with a separate move made by the Blue Jays, as Toronto also signed Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million contract. That deal does not include any opt outs, either, meaning that Bregman (or Okamoto) would certainly have to switch positions or become a full-time DH in order to join the Jays. That DH spot already seems to be occupied by George Springer, too, for what it's worth.

As for the Diamondbacks, who really knows what they'll do when it comes to a potential move for Bregman, especially with Ketel Marte still on their roster.

But bringing it back to Boston, what does 'aggressive' mean with Bregman?

For one, it likely means that they're going to have to meet his demands on term. Bregman wanted the opt outs in his initial Red Sox contract because he wanted another crack at a potential five or six-year contract. Given the number of teams involved, it feels like he can and should get that. Giving him that would be the first step in becoming 'aggressive' when it comes to keeping him. Especially since the average annual value seems like a foregone conclusion given his comps and the market.

The Red Sox have not given out a long-term deal to anybody over 30 since Breslow took over as the club's front office lead, in case you're wondering.

So perhaps that why Olney's report and his belief remains up in the air to some, with Robert Murray unable to get confirmation on that allegedly 'aggressive' offer.

So, at this point, who the hell actually knows what's going on?

At this point, and with almost the entire offseason focused on adding to their pitching staff, the Red Sox have to be thinking about bolstering their offense. The club traded Rafael Devers last season, and retaining Bregman would be the least they could do to keep their offense in a good spot entering 2026, even with the addition of Willson Contreras. You could argue that it would be the bare minimum, actually. If not Bregman, Bo Bichette is likely the only other player that makes true sense for the Red Sox on the free agent market, and he would cost the club something similar.

Back in December, The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey wrote that league sources had told her that the Red Sox remained committed to adding two impact bats to their lineup. The club then added the aforementioned Contreras, taking care of one of the two. And in the immediate aftermath of the Contreras addition, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported that the Sox "remained engaged" with Bregman, but noted that that the club was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about a reunion with their veteran leader.

In action for 114 games this past season, the 31-year-old Bregman posted a .273 average with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs, along with an .821 OPS, for the Red Sox.