Welcome again to Smash Or Pass, our offseason collection wherein we look at varied free brokers and commerce targets to find out whether or not they make sense for the Red Sox. Subsequent up, a 3rd baseman you might have some opinions on.
Whereas the web has frayed the concept of a shared actuality, there are some issues that almost all everybody nonetheless agrees on. Garlic and onions? They scent nice while you cook dinner’em. Ana de Armas? Engaging. The ultimate season of Sport of Thrones? Terrible. Soup? Nice. And Alex Bregman, the topic of this piece? Sort of a douche. The Red Sox are anticipated to pursue him nonetheless. The query is: Ought to they?
Come Opening Day, Bregman six years faraway from his final true bang-bang season with the Astros, wherein he hit 41 homers and had a 58.2 FanGraphs WAR on offense, one 12 months after placing up 51.2 in the identical class. His manufacturing cratered in 2020 and 2021 as soon as he stopped understanding what pitch was coming, however he rebounded in 2022 for a good 23.7 offensive WAR season, eroding to 18.2 in 2023 and 10.7 in 2024. He’s not a celebrity by any means, however he’s a useable baseball participant, with good defese, for now. So: Smash or Go?
The Smash Case: You Want Baseball Gamers, Particularly Ones That Can Area
The much less mentioned in regards to the Astros dishonest scandal the higher, largely as a result of it’s so way back now as to not be related to this offseason. Nobody is anticipating 41 homers; Bregman has logged 23, 26 and 25 over the past three years, together with comparable (however larger) numbers of doubles over the identical interval. The righty, who apparently idolized Ted Williams, would probably be extra of a doubles hitter at Fenway, which is all the time appreciated.
The protection, in fact, is a big a part of this, as a result of Rafael Devers shouldn’t be taking part in third base anymore and Bregman may slide into his place with above-average protection and offense and customarily solidify lots of issues round there. Assuming the crew doesn’t truly signal a celebrity, a participant like Bregman may do rather a lot to assist the Sox at, hopefully, a good value. Wouldn’t or not it’s good to not fear about each ball smoked to the new nook? I believe so.
The Go Case: Love Is Non permanent, Hate is Without end
The case in opposition to Bregman can be fairly easy: Fuck that man!
Together with Jim Crane, Bregman was probably the most seen deflector of the Astros’s dishonest regardless of having been caught useless to rights and, due to MLB’s wackadoodle choice to provide all of the Astros gamers immunity for his or her truthfully, didn’t should face any actual punishment. (Amongst these truly punished have been Alex Cora, in fact.) Right here’s Bregman in his pure component, being a dope:
Was it a very long time in the past? Certain. I nonetheless hate it. I do know many baseball gamers would do the identical factor — that they had a complete crew of ‘em in Houston — however I don’t care. Bregman has grow to be the poster little one for the dishonest, to me, in a means Jose Altuve hasn’t, not leastwise as a result of he was and stays a significantly better participant than Bregman, and outdoors of 2020, didn’t see an enormous dip in stats from which he needed to scramble to recuperate. They have been each feasting on stolen indicators, positive, however Altuve knew tips on how to hunt with out them.
Even when that’s all historic historical past, the “new” Bregman’s offensive manufacturing fell for the third straight 12 months coming into his age-31 season, and a continued decline would rapidly make him a glove-first participant for Boston, which they may clearly nonetheless use, however glove-first gamers aren’t more likely to value what Bregman’s more likely to value.
The Verdict: The Coronary heart Desires What It Desires. It Additionally Doesn’t Need What It Doesn’t Need. Go!
Whereas he may truly be pretty useful, I’d reasonably a drink battery acid smoothie than watch Bregman on the Crimson Sox. It’s for that motive I worry that it’s gonna occur, however I can maintain out hate. I imply hope. And hate.
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