BOSTON FANS REACT WITH FURY AFTER ALEX BREGMAN OPTS FOR A MOVE TO CHICAGO
Alex Bregman heads to Chicago on a 5-year, $175M deal. We analyse the fallout for the Red Sox and their failed third base strategy.
Well, that’s it for the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, and the Red Sox came up empty. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news Saturday night: the Cubs landed Bregman with a five-year, $175 million deal. Boston just watched another top free agent slip away.
Red Sox fans are already frustrated after missing out on Pete Alonso and having to settle for Willson Contreras. Now, losing Bregman has only made things worse. He was one of the biggest bats available this offseason—coming off a .273 average, 18 home runs, 28 doubles, and an .821 OPS in 114 games. But it wasn’t just about his numbers. Bregman brought leadership and postseason experience, exactly what people say Boston’s been missing since 2018—whether they made the playoffs or not.
Yeah, it stings. But if you squint, there’s still a little hope buried under all the bad news.
Bregman to the Cubs just feels like another gut punch for Boston fans. Critics aren’t letting it go, especially when you remember what happened last season with Rafael Devers. When the Red Sox signed Bregman in early 2025, Devers got pushed off third base and into a DH role—a move he never wanted. That broke the bond between Devers and the team, and by mid-June, Boston shipped him to the Giants for not much in return. A franchise icon, gone. Two of the guys they got back, James Tibbs III and Jordan Hicks, didn’t pan out or were traded away.
So now, looking back, Boston made room for Bregman by trading away a homegrown star—and Bregman’s gone after less than a year. It just highlights how inconsistent this front office has been. When Breslow took over in late 2023, the team barely made any moves. Their only big signing was Lucas Giolito—a gamble at two years, $38 million, especially after the rough season he’d just had.
Then, 2024 brought a different approach. Breslow traded for Garrett Crochet, who almost won the Cy Young in 2025. The Red Sox gave Bregman a three-year, $140 million contract. At first, it seemed like a win—Bregman was happy, and fans were happy. But things changed fast. Boston didn’t extend him midseason, and Bregman decided to use his opt-out after just one year.
Now, social media is full of angry fans wondering if the front office or ownership even cares about winning a title. People keep pointing out how the Red Sox traded Devers to make room for Bregman, and now they have neither. The team basically created its own mess at third base.
To be fair, Boston did make a strong push for Bregman and reportedly offered close to $170 million. They just got outbid again. That’s not for lack of trying, but it shows their financial approach just isn’t keeping up in a league where other teams will spend big to win.
And honestly, this isn’t the Boston Red Sox people remember. Bo Bichette wants $300 million… But if the Red Sox wouldn’t pay $175 million for Bregman, why would they go after Bichette? The answer’s simple: they won’t. Or, at best, they’ll get outbid again.
But hey, there’s still some light at the end of the tunnel. The Red Sox have a top-10 farm system. Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell are waiting in the wings. It’s not like the team will suddenly fall apart—and both guys have been putting in serious work. Campbell’s packed on muscle, and Mayer’s been grinding in the gym with Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran. These guys could actually make some noise in the lineup soon. With Anthony coming back, things could get interesting.
Sure, losing Bregman hurts. But Boston has no choice except to look at what’s next, and honestly, the options aren’t bad. Even without Bregman, the future’s still bright—people have been saying it since July, right when extension talks stopped.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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