A surprise team reportedly has interest in free agent infielder Alex Bregman.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are reported by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY and Jon Heyman of the New York Post to be “kicking the tires” on the possibility of signing the star third baseman.
This is a shocking report given the Diamondbacks’ immediate need for pitching, both in the rotation and bullpen.
With General Manager Mike Hazen reportedly trying to cut payroll for 2026, this would be the exact opposite of what has previously been reported.
If the interest is truly there for Arizona, this would effectively mean the end of the Ketel Marte era.
What Would Bregman Bring to Arizona?
Bregman opted out of two remaining years on his three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox this offseason.
Given that his agent is Scott Boras, it’s more than likely that he could be looking for a substantial raise. But does he deserve it?
The three-time all-star and two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros played 114 games last year, hitting 18 home runs with an .821 OPS, slightly below Bregman’s career averages.
While he doesn’t hit the ball nearly as hard as he used to, Bregman has elite plate discipline to boot, with above-average defense.
Bregman has never struck out 100 times in a season during his 10-year career, a rarity in today’s game of baseball.
In 2025, Bregman had 3 Outs Above Average, good for the 83rd percentile among MLB players according to Baseball Savant . He also won a Gold Glove Award with the Astros in 2024.
While his defense and plate discipline make up in part for his lack of power in recent seasons, it is questionable that a soon-to-be 32-year-old would deserve a long or short-term deal upwards of $40 million Average Annual Value.
Bregman’s Fit With Arizona
If Arizona signs Bregman, trade talks for Arizona’s superstar second baseman Marte would ramp up dramatically.
Hazen has said that the Diamondbacks were unlikely to make a Marte trade unless they were absolutely blown away by the offer. In this case, Hazen would have less leverage in trade talks due to Arizona’s expected increase in willingness to trade Marte.
It would be unlikely that the Diamondbacks would keep both Marte and Bregman, given Marte’s current contract, Bregman’s expected contract and top prospect Jordan Lawlar’s fit on the team.
In addition, getting immediate pitching help would be difficult to obtain unless Arizona surprisingly trades Lawlar for an unexpected haul.
As of now, Lawlar is slated to take over at third base. Arizona has been trying to get their top prospect every day reps to unlock his potential for years. However, due to injuries, inconsistency by Lawlar, and the emergence of Suarez and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, Lawlar has only seen 97 at-bats at the major league level.
Bregman would immediately slide in at third base, either forcing Lawlar to the trade block or being put in the outfield or second base if Marte is indeed traded.
Either way, this is a curious situation that will be interesting to watch in the coming days.
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