Brewers rumors: Alex Bregman trade could fall into Milwaukee's lap thanks to Scott Boras

Two days ago, on Wilde and Tausch, a radio show on ESPN Wisconsin featuring expert sportswriter Jason Wilde and Packers Hall of Famer Mark Tauscher, ESPN's MLB Insider Jeff Passan said that he believes the Milwaukee Brewers are one big bat away from becoming a legitimate World Series contender. This morning, a rumor surfaced that could deliver that big bat to Milwaukee if it comes to fruition.

In an article for The Athletic, MLB Insider Jim Bowden mentioned the Brewers as a possible landing spot for Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, should he and the Red Sox fail to reach a contract extension prior to the MLB Trade Deadline at the end of the month.

"The Red Sox would like to extend Bregman before the trade deadline, but it won’t be easy with Scott Boras as his agent. And, I’m hearing, in my conversations throughout the league, if he’s not extended, they could end up trading him to Seattle, Detroit or Milwaukee. "

Jim Bowden, The Athletic

It's been somewhat of a nightmare season for the Red Sox already. Despite clawing their way back into the AL Wild Card race, they have had a difficult time keeping their two All-Star third basemen happy. Already, tensions increased to the point where they traded one of them, with Craig Breslow and company shipping franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in early June. Now, it looks like Boston's front office is once again hamstrung by a satisfy-my-wishes or trade-me scenario with their major offseason signing in Bregman.

Milwaukee Brewers listed as a destination for Alex Bregman if Boston chooses to trade him

Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million salary with the Red Sox this past February, giving him a massive average annual salary of $40 million. However, the contract includes a significant amount of deferred money, and most importantly, an opt-out after this season. The opt-out is the main reason that Bregman's name is even involved in trade talks to begin with. With him holding the threat of leaving after the season, he and his agent, Scott Boras, can corner the Red Sox front office by saying, “Give me a major contract extension, or I'm leaving after the season."

The Red Sox have the money and could very well answer Bregman's wishes prior to the end of the month. But if they choose not to, it would make more sense for them to trade him and get some prospect capital back in return, than simply let him walk after the season, assuming Boston doesn't believe they will be competing for a World Series this year.

So what's the likelihood that the 2x All-Star and former AL MVP runner-up lands in Milwaukee?

It's not totally unfathomable. Of the three teams listed as trade partners, the Brewers are the only ones in the NL, and trading players outside of the same league is often more desirable than trading them to an AL squad who could potentially compete with the Red Sox for a playoff spot (the Mariners currently sit one game ahead of Boston in the AL Wild Card standings).

What about the money? As revealed at the time of the signing, half of Bregman's $40 million annual salary is deferred to a later date, meaning his 2025 cash salary is $20 million. MLB contracts are paid throughout the year, meaning if a team acquires a player halfway through the season, they are on the hook for half of that player’s salary. With the deadline occurring two-thirds of the way through the season, an acquiring team would pay roughly $6.5 million of Bregman's 2025 contract — that seems very reasonable. Additionally, deferred money is generally paid out by the team that initially signed the player — Max Scherzer is still being paid by the Washington Nationals despite being traded twice and signing with two other teams since he last pitched for them. However, every case is different, and the Brewers would likely either have to take on some of Bregman's deferred contract or increase their trade package.

That said, the Brewers should have some payroll flexibility to work with this deadline. Their 2025 payroll of roughly $108 million is more than $15 million lower than their 2024 mark, and more than $20 million less than what they spent in 2022, according to spotrac.

It would take a few chips to fall into the perfect place for Bregman to end the season in a Brewers uniform, but with one MLB insider saying there's a chance, and another saying that the Crew is one big bat away from becoming a World Series contender, the option at least has to be explored.