Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos strikes out with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning of baseball's World Series in Game 1 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Houston.
Alex Bregman Sparks Debate Regarding $30 Million Average Annual Value
The free agent market for third baseman Alex Bregman is starting to take shape as six ball clubs have been mentioned as potential destinations for the 2024 American League Gold Glove Award winner. Besides the young and exciting Detroit Tigers, the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays appear to have an interest in Bregman.
He is viewed by many to be the second-best position ball player on the free agent market this offseason behind outfielder Juan Soto with both being represented by agent Scott Boras. Bregman’s talent and extensive postseason experience align well with a championship-caliber ball club who is looking to replace disappointment with glory in the month of October. He hopes to capitalize on the impulsive spending that is likely to occur due to Soto’s impact on free agency by securing a contract with an average annual value of at least $30 million.
Is Alex Bregman Worth $300 Million?
Major League Baseball’s offseason is fueled by rumors where the line between reality and absurdity is blurred courtesy of social media. There have been whispers that Bregman is interested in pursuing a free agent contract more than $300 million like third baseman Manny Machado. Originally, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract as a free agent in February 2019 with the San Diego Padres at the conclusion of his age-25 season. His 11-year, $350 million contract extension in February 2023 occurred prior to his age-30 season according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Along with a $45 million signing bonus, the average annual value of Machado’s contract extension for Competitive Balance Tax purposes is $31,818,182 and runs through his age-40 season. Machado is one of 35 ball players in baseball history who have posted a wins above replacement (WAR) for position players of 50 or better before their age-30 season using Baseball-Reference’s calculation of the statistic. The only active ball players on the list besides Machado (51.9) are center fielder Mike Trout (76.1) of the Los Angeles Angels and right fielder/infielder Mookie Betts (56.5) of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bregman’s career WAR using Baseball-Reference’s calculation of the statistic is 39.6 through his age-30 season.
