Despite the club's wariness to sign the veteran infielder to a big free-agent contract, it's hard to overlook the potential fit of Bregman with the Red Sox for the 2025 season.

By offering four years or less, the Sox are basically saying they don’t believe Bregman will be good in 2030, the last year of his projected five-year contract. They will miss out on four good years of a righty slugger with a great glove, just because there’s a chance in his fifth year he won’t be as good.

The Red Sox remain engaged on Alex Bregman, but a new report reveals why the team hasn't been able to close a deal with the two-time All-Star quite yet.