The Boston Red Sox faced criticism when they declined to pursue a two-time World Series champion, but recent results are making that decision look increasingly wise.
As the veteran’s struggles continue to mount, Boston’s front office appears to have avoided a move that could have become an expensive mistake.
That veteran, 32-year-old Alex Bregman, now leads Major League Baseball in runners left on base with 140, the most of any hitter in the sport, according to Underdog MLB. Among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances, he ranks 14th from the bottom in weighted runs created plus (wRC+) at 96, per data compiled by FanGraphs, a catch-all measure in which 100 marks league average.
Bregman is not stranding runners alone. The Cubs lead the majors in the same category as a team, according to TeamRankings.com, leaving an average of 17.33 runners stranded each game. Chicago sat in first place by 3 1/2 games on May 9, then lost 19 of 25 to fall to fourth in the National League Central, according to FanSided‘s John Perrotto.
Bregman’s Runners-Left Numbers Pile Up for Cubs
Through 64 games this season, Bregman is hitting .248 with five home runs and 19 RBI. His OPS has sunk to .669, and he made the final out of a recent home loss after going 0-for-5.
“Those can be directed at me because I haven’t come through with guys in scoring position. I have plenty of chances. Guys are getting on base in front of me all the time,” Bregman said of the boos at Wrigley Field, as quoted by ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers.
“I’ve been terrible. I need to play better. Offensively, it’s been awful. I’ve failed many times in this game. I’ve struggled. Runners in scoring position, I’ve been god-awful,” Bregman said, according to Rogers.
There is precedent for a turnaround. Bregman has posted a 115 wRC+ or better in eight of his 10 big league seasons, and slow starts in 2023 and 2024 gave way to scorching second halves both years. The 32-year-old is a two-time World Series champion and three-time All-Star who owns a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
Boston Red Sox Let Alex Bregman Walk After One Season
Bregman spent 2025 with the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million deal. A right quad strain on May 23 cost him 43 games, and he carried a .299 average and a .938 OPS into the injury before the production cooled once he came back, according to MLB.com‘s Ian Browne. He still earned a 2025 All-Star nod, then finished the year well short of the OPS he carried before the quad gave out.
Bregman opted out last winter, and Boston let him reach the open market. The Cubs pounced with a five-year, $175 million contract, the third-largest in franchise history, carrying $70 million in deferrals and no opt-outs, according to Just Baseball‘s Carson Wolf. Chicago had chased him a year earlier, before he chose Boston.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has stayed publicly patient through the skid.
“Water finds its own level,” Hoyer told reporters, expecting his prized veteran to climb back toward career norms. For now, the runners left on base keep stacking up. Observers have already called on him to produce, and the gap between his $175 million price tag and his .248 average is making the Red Sox look smarter with every game.
Red Sox Passing on 2-Time World Series Winner Looks Genius Now