Red Sox exec Kennedy: If 'Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately he'd be here'

Boston Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy believes if Alex Bregman really wanted to stay with the franchise, he would have made it work this offseason.

"If Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately he'd be here," Kennedy said Sunday when asked if providing a no-trade clause would've been a difference-maker in Bregman choosing the Red Sox over the Chicago Cubs.

Following a solid 2025 campaign, Bregman opted out of the final two years of his three-year, $120-million deal with the Red Sox to enter free agency this offseason. The Cubs signed him to a five-year, $175-million contract with $70 million in deferred money. While his new deal doesn't include any opt-outs, it does contain a full no-trade clause.

The Red Sox reportedly offered Bregman a five-year, $165-million deal with significant deferrals but refused to provide him with a no-trade clause.

"We try not to talk about organizational policies and the finer points of negotiations because it just doesn't serve you well if you do that," Kennedy said when asked if it's standard practice for the club not to provide no-trade clauses to players.

Bregman, who was well-liked and considered a solid clubhouse presence for the Red Sox last season, is a two-time World Series champion from his tenure with the Houston Astros. He posted an .821 OPS with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games during his lone campaign in Boston.