Red Sox Notes: Alex Bregman officially opts out of contract; Lucas Giolito turns down mutual offer; Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu take home gold

As of right now, Alex Bregman’s era in Boston is over, after the veteran officially opted out of his contract with the Red Sox.

After weeks of speculation, Bregman informed the Sox he was opting out of his three-year, $120-million deal and will test free agency again this winter. Players can sign with a new team once the market officially opens on Thursday afternoon.

Bregman initially signed a deal with Boston that would allow him to opt out of his contract after each of the first two seasons. He made $40 million this season which will also include deferrals, and will leave $80 million on the table as he attempts to secure a long-term deal with Boston or another contender in the league.

Boston will not be alone in trying to sign Bregman this offseason. Teams like the Tigers, Cubs, Mariners, and possibly the Astros will all be interested in the 2025 All-Star.

“Obviously, Alex has the right, as structured in his contract, to opt out, and he’s going to do what’s best for his family,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said after the season. “At the same time, I will not miss an opportunity to talk about his contributions on the field, in the clubhouse, to the coaching staff, and to the front office. In every conversation we’ve had, I learned something. I think that impact and influence has rubbed off on his teammates, and by all accounts, he’s loved his time in Boston.

“We’ll let that play out, but the significance (of bringing him back) would be having a great player, a proven winner, a strong defender, and someone who fits this market really well on a roster.”

Bregman started off red hot to begin the season, hitting .299 with 11 homers, 17 doubles, 35 RBI, and a .938 OPS before suffering a right quad strain trying to stretch a wall ball off the Green Monster into a double. He missed 43 games before coming back to the team on July 11 and never looked the same. Over his final 63 games, he hit .250 with seven homers, 27 RBI, and a .724 OPS. He hit .300 (3-for-10) with a double, RBI, and three walks in the American League Wild Card round versus the Yankees.

“Not even thinking about that at all right now. Thinking about the game that just happened,” Bregman said after the Red Sox were eliminated in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card by the Yankees. "I’m gonna think about this game and the guys in the room and start my offseason. Get after it and become a better baseball player."

Bregman had an enormous impact on the clubhouse in his only season with the Red Sox. He mentored the club’s rookies like Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer. The 31-year-old has expressed interest in returning to Boston, but as a Scott Boras client, he will be unlikely to take a hometown discount.

If Bregman doesn’t return to the Red Sox, the front office has options externally to replace the veteran leader. Eugenio Suarez belted 49 homers with Arizona and Seattle but is a disaster at third base. Bo Bichette prefers to remain a shortstop but could move off the position to play second or third base for a contender. Japanese stars Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamato will also be viable options to replace Bregman.

MUTUAL OPTION DECLINED

Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito has declined his $19 million option and will become a free agent.

It’s no shock that Giolito has declined the mutual option, and it will allow the veteran to secure a new deal either with the Red Sox or another team.

Breslow will now have until Nov. 18 to decide whether to offer Giolito the $22.025 million qualifying offer. If the Sox offer him the QO, the club would receive draft pick compensation if he signs with another team in free agency this offseason. If they let him walk, they could get draft pick compensation similar to the No. 75 overall pick when Nick Pivetta declined the QO and signed with the Padres.

Giolito is coming off a two-year, $38.5-million deal he signed in 2023 but missed all of the 2024 campaign after he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in spring training. The righty underwent internal brace surgery in March 2024 and made his Red Sox debut this past season.

He went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 4.17 FIP in 26 starts for the Red Sox but missed the AL Wild Card round after a right elbow injury shut him down. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported on Friday that one source said Giolito is “100%” and on a regular throwing program. He also added a second source said that the right-hander is “making improvements with his throwing timeline set to be guided by his offseason ramp-up.”

Boston needs to address its rotation for next season, with Crochet and Bello penciled atop the depth chart. Internally, the Sox have both Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, and Kyle Harrison, who impressed and should get a look in spring training, and they will also have Patrick Sandoval back from his rehab from Tommy John's surgery. Kutter Crawford is expected in camp fully healthy, coming off missing all of last year with a knee issue and wrist surgery.

GOLD STANDARD

Two-thirds of the Red Sox outfield took home some hardware on Sunday night.

Outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela were both named 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove award winners.

Abreu, 26, is now a two-time Gold Glove winner, earning the award for a second consecutive season. The right fielder beat out Rangers’ Adolis García and Astros’ Cam Smith.

The Sox’ Abreu claimed his second Gold Glove, having started just 104 games in right field, missing time due to injury down the stretch. He finished second among American League right fielders in defensive runs saved with 15. García led all right fielders with +16 DRS, while Smith, in his rookie campaign, had +12 DRS. Abreu and Padres’ Fernando Tatis also tied for second in OAA, with +8 (behind only Corbin Carroll’s +9).

Rafaela, who has turned into one of the game’s premier defenders in center field. He wins his first Gold Glove after finishing second among all MLB outfielders in DRS with 20, trailing only Cleveland’s Steven Kwan. He beat out Royals’ Kyle Isbel and Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez. His 20 defensive runs saved ranked ahead of Isbel and Rodriguez, and his 22 outs above average were higher than Isbel’s 12 and Rodriguez’s 10.

Rafaela has electrified social media feeds with his highlight reel plays, including robbing Carroll of a home run when the Sox were in Arizona this season.  

The Sox’ outfielder has come up in the clutch numerous times this season, both offensively and defensively, and was a favorite to win the award.

Catcher Carlos Narváez was a finalist behind Alejandro Kirk of the Blue Jays and Dillon Dingler of the Tigers, who won the award.

He finished sixth in baseball among all catchers with 10 DRS; Narváez also led the majors with 32 runners caught stealing. He threw out 29.9% of runners (32 of 107); the league average was 21.5%. Despite being a finalist for the award, Narváez led the American League with nine errors and nine passed balls.

Narváez also finished among the top 20% in four Statcast categories—Blocks Above Average (+6, 88th percentile), Caught Stealing Above Average (+9, 98th), Framing (+5, 85th), and Pop Time (1.92 seconds, 80th).

The Sox’ rookie catcher faced tough competition from Kirk, who is one of baseball’s most elite catchers. The 26-year-old ranked in the 99th percentile in fielding run value (22). He also finished tied for third in defensive runs saved (nine) among big-league catchers, behind Narváez (10) and Patrick Bailey (19).

Dingler also ranked in the 95th percentile for blocks above average, the 91st percentile for framing, and the 85th percentile for caught stealing above average. He had a plus-6 defensive runs saved, ranked third among AL catchers, and never allowed a passed ball this season.

It is the first time the Red Sox had multiple Gold Glove winners in the same season since 2018, when Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Ian Kinsler won the awards. It is also the fifth time in team history the Sox have had multiple outfielders win a Gold Glove in the same year.