Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Shares Major Praise for Houston Astros Alex Bregman

Houston Astros free agent Alex Bregman received a lot of praise from Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Aug 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) runs out the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

With star free agent Juan Soto signing a free agent deal with the New York Mets on the eve of the Winter Meetings, arguably the biggest name on the free agent market that is available is Houston Astros star Alex Bregman.

He is by far the No. 1 option available at third base, where options were already limited before Willy Adames agreed to a deal with the San Francisco Giants. His market is expected to be a robust one as several teams need help at the hot corner.

One of the teams who are expected to pursue him during the Winter Meetings is the Boston Red Sox.

They have been linked to a lot of the top options on the market, looking to make a splash to help the franchise continue moving in the right direction after going 81-81 in 2024.

The Red Sox also has an intriguing selling point that other franchises don’t have; Alex Cora.

He coached Bregman during his time with the Astros and his presence in Boston could certainly be a selling point for the two-time All-Star if he actually leaves the only franchise he has known as a professional.

When speaking to the media during his availability at the Winter Meetings, Cora had nothing but good things to say about his former player.

"Alex is a good player, man. He's a complete player. He's a player that's been on winning teams, right, his whole career. Good defender. Offensively he's really good. He's a guy that a lot of people are talking about, and I do believe he can impact a Big League team, a championship-caliber team. He's that type of player,” as shared over at ESPN.

The Red Sox already have Rafael Devers entrenched at third base, but there have been discussions that he could shift over to first base eventually. Coming off the first Gold Glove Award of his career, Bregman is a stellar defender at the hot corner.

But, he is also reportedly open to moving to second base in the right situation.

It will be interesting to see how things work out for Bregman, as he is reportedly seeking a $200 million contract. That isn’t a number Houston has been willing to get near to this point, as a gap reportedly exists between the two sides.

If the Astros don’t close that gap, there is a real chance that they will lose their star third baseman. It wouldn’t be the first time that a homegrown Houston star departed in free agency, a trend that ownership and the front office should want to end sooner rather than later.