Why did Alex Bregman reportedly turn down two other offers -- including one that would have paid him $171.5 million over six years -- to join the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million contract?
Bregman's primary motivation could be financial; he's set to make $40 million per year on his current deal and has opt outs after each season. And maybe he likes the appeal of playing in a big market for a team that looks poised to end a three-year playoff drought. But we'll posit another factor that could have swayed Bregman:
He absolutely rakes at Fenway Park.
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Bregman has made 98 plate appearances in 21 games at Fenway over nine MLB seasons. Here are his stats in those 21 games:
.375 batting average (30 for 80), seven home runs, nine doubles, 15 RBI, .750 slugging percentage, 1.240 OPS
Not only is Bregman a better hitter at Fenway than any other ballpark where he's played more than six games, but he also has some of the best numbers of all time in Boston. Seriously.
Here's where Bregman ranks among qualified hitters (minimum 75 plate appearances) in key offensive metrics at Fenway Park:
Yes, you read that chart right. Bregman's 1.240 OPS is the highest ever among players with at least 75 plate appearances at Fenway, ahead of Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1.118). His slugging percentage is second only to three-time All-Star Dave Kingman, and his OBP at Fenway trails only Ted Williams (heard of him?).
If you're into recent results, the 30-year-old went a casual 7-for-15 (.583 batting average) in Boston last year, with two home runs, two doubles and four RBI over a three-game series in early August.
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Bregman's incredible success at Fenway makes sense, as his right-handed swing is tailor-made for the ballpark's shortened left field (310 feet down the line). That early-August series was part of a second-half resurgence for the veteran third baseman that coincided with an increased pull rate.
If he continues that trend at home games in 2025, we could see a lot of Bregman line drives slamming the Green Monster.
You could argue $40 million per year is an overpay for a soon-to-be-31-year-old who's hit .262 or worse in three consecutive seasons. But in addition to Bregman's leadership and championship pedigree, he'll also bring a bat that's wreaked havoc at Fenway for the better part of a decade -- and helps explain why Boston was willing to pay up to sign him.