How good is Plan B?
Late Saturday night, the Red Sox offseason took a significant turn when Alex Bregman agreed to a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs. And so, the Sox — who 11 months ago, had a surplus of power-hitting third basemen in Bregman and Rafael Devers — now have none.
The Sox, of course, had been interested in a reunion with Bregman, whom team officials described as their clear top choice as a positional option this offseason. He was their best player while healthy through the first two months of last year, earned an All-Star nod in his one year in Boston, and emerged as a tremendous clubhouse presence who teammates credited as a significant force in their improvement.
In terms of present-day value, the Sox were offering Bregman less than what designated hitters Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million) and Kyle Schwarber (five years, $150 million) received in their deals. The Cubs also included a full no-trade clause, something the Sox never had on the table.
The Sox viewed Bregman as their Plan A candidate. Hours later, Plan A was gone. And so, the Sox must define an alternate course.
Read the full story from Alex Speier at Globe.com/Sports. | 
