Alex Bregman made quite the interesting Boston-themed choice when it came to highlighting his new life with the Cubs.
The ex-Red Sox star third baseman, fresh off a contentious split from the team, posted a photo alongside another former Bostonian who had an unceremonious exit in Rafael Devers.
“Baseball Time ⚾️🌵💪,” Bregman captioned the eight-photo collage that featured only one other one-on-one photo of him alongside a fellow MLB star.
Both Bregman and Devers seemed like they would be the staple at the hot corner in Boston for years to come only to end up in the National League after messy exits.
Devers first signed the largest deal in team history but moved off third base when the Red Sox signed Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal with two opt-out clauses ahead of the 2025 season.
Boston ultimately traded Devers after the relationship deteriorated, with critical words being said in both directions.
Bregman seemed like the natural fit to replace Devers long term, but the sides could not match up in free agency and he bolted for the Cubs on a five-year, $175 million contract.
That exit, too, came with drama, with the Red Sox making Bregman “a little mad” while he believed they attempted to low-ball him, according to ex-Boston catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
“It made Alex a little bit mad they would not move,” Pierzynski said on his “Foul Territory” show on Jan. 12. “So then the Red Sox were like, ‘OK, take it or leave it.’ They will not budge.”
Boston eventually upped its offer to five years and $165 million but the damage had been done and Bregman bolted for the North Siders.
“Bregman was already one, mad, and two, had a higher offer and the more they tried to stretch it out, the longer and further down the road the deferrals got,” Pierzynski said. “So Bregman’s like, ‘I’m getting more money in a shorter amount of time, I’m going to the Cubs.”
That exit did not sit well with the Red Sox, with team president Sam Kennedy putting the blame on the third baseman.
“If Alex Bregman wanted to be here,” Kennedy said, according to Boston.com, “ultimately he’d be here.”
Bregman declined to fire back in a chat with USA Today, but the old saying of a picture being worth a thousand words may apply in this situation.
He’ll now try to help the Cubs overtake the Brewers in the NL Central, while Boston has turned to ex-Yankee Caleb Durbin at third base after a trade with Milwaukee.
