There is a lot of weight that comes with a big contract. A lot of responsibility is placed on you and the expectations are set high for you. Not to mention, everything you’ve accomplished prior to the price tag.

For Alex Bregman, a lot of weight comes with the new price tag. Bregman signed for three years and $120 million, which equates to $40 million per season. It also has a pair of opt outs. Bregman brings a lot to the Red Sox, primarily his ability to be a stable right handed bat, but also his ability to provide good infield defense. The most important though? Being a leader.

Bregman Leading By Example

One thing the Red Sox have lacked since the departure of Xander Bogaerts is having a leadership presence. Yes, Rafael Devers leads by example with his play at the plate and being a force for the team. That’s a different type of leadership. Trevor Story has shown he can be that type of guy, but injuries have taken him out of the mix a bit, so they’ve missed that presence. Enter Bregman and he instantly becomes a player that the Red Sox can have as a vocal leader.

It is never easy to adjust to a new clubhouse right away, but Bregman has felt right at home with the Red Sox. He has shown manager Alex Cora that he is buying in and has not been shy to getting acclimated to his new teammates. While he sent Red Sox Nation on cloud nine by signing with the club, a lot of the attention is on the younger guys. This is where his leadership comes into play and just being a mentor.

The biggest blessing for the younger guys such as Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell is that they have a veteran like Bregman they can lean on. Not only forming a bond and a friendship, but also working with him and picking his brain. After all, Bregman has accomplished plenty at the MLB level and brings a proven winner mentality to the table.

For Spring Training, there is a weird rule where the veterans stay behind and the young guys take the bus rides to the ballparks for the road games. Mayer and Anthony haggled Bregman into coming and the veteran hopped on the bus and hung out with the boys on the bus ride.
Given the opt outs, the future of Bregman is Boston does remain uncertain, but nobody cares about that. He’s focused on the present and in the short comings he is showing his leadership and mentorship qualities. That’s something that manager Alex Cora noticed.

“He was very vocal about it when we met with him,” said Cora. “He wanted to know [about them]. He not only asked about the position players, he asked about where we were pitching-wise, and how we see it in the future. Very smart questions from a very smart [guy]. And I’m happy that he’s doing everything possible. And the thing is that this is not fake. He’s doing this because this is who he is. I love the fact that he does that.”

Bregman was a cornerstone player for the Houston Astros and was a leader among that clubhouse as well. His leadership ability speaks volumes and he’s doing it off the field, but also on the field.

Bregman is enjoying a nice Spring Training for the Red Sox. In his debut, he went 3-3 with a home run and is showing he will make plenty of dents in the Green Monster. He is hitting .500 with a 1.362 OPS and six RBI’s.
Bregman is going to be a hit sensation in Boston and he has made more impressions than one in a short time span.