It went in the scorebook as an L-7, but Red Sox ownership should rewatch the at-bat and then get off the fence and sign Alex Bregman.
Everyone remembers the situation. Bases loaded, Red Sox up 8-6, a shaky Craig Kimbrel trying to close out Game 4 of the 2018 American League Championship Series in Houston with David Price hastily warming.
Bregman was the absolute last person the Red Sox wanted to see. They had spent the entire series meticulously avoiding him (seven walks), but now there was nowhere to hide.
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As Bregman stepped to the plate with Minute Maid Park rocking and Red Sox manager Alex Cora looking car sick, the 24-year-old projected steely calm, especially when juxtaposed against the firehose of sweat pouring off Kimbrel. The greatest season in Red Sox history hung in the balance.
Bregman is a patient hitter – a year later he'd lead the American League with 119 walks – and Kimbrel had just walked the bases loaded. Catcher Sandy Leon set up low and away, but Kimbrel, as was his habit, missed badly. The first-pitch 97 mph fastball sailed back through the heart of the plate and ran just far enough inside that Bregman couldn't fully extend his arms, but with his short stroke he still made solid contact, sending a sinking liner to left field.
If the ball gets down, the Astros win, but Andrew Benintendi sold out to make the spectacular diving catch, delivering the signature play of the postseason. The Red Sox won the series in five en route to their fourth World Series in 14 years. Bregman left the field wearing the same impassive expression, helmet in hand. He couldn't have done much more.
The two-time World Series winner is a bad man who was born for those moments, and there's a chance he could deliver them in Boston, if only the Red Sox act.
An offseason that began with promises to spend has instead gotten bogged down. The front office swung a massive trade for potential ace Garrett Crochet and signed former Dodgers standout Walker Buehler to a one-year deal, but neither acquisition cost much money and the roster remains incomplete.
The Red Sox desperately need a right-handed bat, especially after losing 30-homer outfielder Tyler O'Neill, but they weren't a factor on Teoscar Hernandez before he rejoined the Dodgers, and they haven't been linked to Silver Slugging switch hitter Anthony Santander. It's starting to feel like they might go the bargain route again, which is wildly frustrating, because they're so close.
Bregman is the boldest move left, and even at $200 million, it would be money well spent.
The 30-year-old is the biggest bat remaining in free agency, a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger who just won his first Gold Glove, which he's willing to take to second base.
He's exactly the kind of player the Red Sox desperately need, on the field and off. He's blessed with natural right-handed pull power and he controls the strike zone, two musts for an overly left-handed lineup that was at its best last year when manufacturing runs.
He's also a natural leader and among the game's most experienced postseason players. He has appeared in 99 playoff games and owns no shortage of big moments, starting with a World Series walkoff to beat Kenley Jansen and the Dodgers as a rookie, and continuing through the 2023 ALCS, when his three homers helped the Astros push the Rangers to seven games.
On a club where Rafael Devers doesn't want to lead and Jarren Duran really isn't suited for the role, Bregman would immediately provide guidance and stability. Prospects like Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell need role models, and Bregman is perfect. It's no secret that Cora loves him.
Because Bregman turns 31 in March and has seen his production dip considerably since a 41-homer, MVP-caliber 2019, it's easy to argue he's on the downside. But at some point the Red Sox must get uncomfortable and recognize that they need reinforcements right now. The division, after all, is wide open after superstar slugger Juan Soto left the Yankees for the Mets and Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes left Baltimore for Arizona.
The Red Sox are on the ascent, but they need help. Remember that feeling of terror when Bregman stepped in with nowhere to put him and the season on the line? The Red Sox could use that on their side.
Just pay the man and let the rest of baseball know you're going to be a problem again.
