"Never forget he's one of the trash can cheaters!" - Red Sox fans react to Alex Bregman opting out of his contract, leaving $80M in salary

Alex Bregman officially opted out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox and is now a free agent, ending a one-year stay in Boston and walking away from the final two years and roughly $80 million that remained on his contract, per a report from Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with Boston in February 2025 that included opt-outs after the first two seasons; by declining the remaining $80 million, he’s betting on himself in free agency and looking for a longer-term, higher-value contract.

In 114 games for Boston this past season he hit .273 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs and earned an All-Star nod, numbers that make him an attractive bat on the open market but also raise questions about health and age for some teams.

The move widely reported across outlets instantly set social feeds alight, with some Red Sox faithful celebrating and others using the moment to dredge up old grievances.

“Never forget that he’s one of the trash can cheaters!” a fan wrote. “Thank god we signed him so we could get 3 extra playoff games and trade the franchise player away for nothing! Thank you Bregman! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽” a fan said. “Don’t sign him and that Devers trade will SOMEHOW look even worse,” one fan wrote. “Would pass on him. Injury prone and didn’t hit that well,” one fan commented. “The Red Sox better not overpay for him…” another fan wrote. “Good not Great player. On the back 9 as he’ll be 32 by opening day. Oh and…..THE GREEDIEST PLAYER in the League!” one fan tweeted.

CBO Craig Breslow praises Bregman as Red Sox weigh next steps amid offseason shakeup

The Red Sox knew this moment might be coming, but Alex Bregman opting out still leaves a real gap for a team trying to stabilize after another up-and-down season.

Boston’s front office hasn’t hidden how highly they think of him, and Craig Breslow echoed that again during his end-of-season availability, but without pretending the situation is simple.

“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 Boston’s season ended.

Framing the decision as both contractual and personal. Bregman now joins a small pile of Red Sox players who hit free agency this week with Rob Refsnyder, Justin Wilson, Steven Matz, and Dustin May, leaving Boston with several roster holes to consider.

Between Bregman’s free agency, Story’s looming decision, and the club’s need to add pitching, Boston’s early offseason now has several moving pieces and none of them are small.

Edited by Shubham Soni