Boston Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy offered up a rather brutal assessment of Alex Bregman’s offseason departure.
Bregman left the Red Sox after one season to join the Chicago Cubs despite Boston’s stated hope to bring him back. Addressing the media Sunday, Kennedy was quite clear in saying that, in his mind, Bregman had simply not wanted to play for the Red Sox anymore.
“If Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately, he’d be here,” Kennedy said.
Sam Kennedy says if Alex Bregman wanted to be with the Red Sox, he’d still be here. pic.twitter.com/P7KhzwhMxZ
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 15, 2026
Kennedy was defending the team’s decision not to offer Bregman a no-trade clause as part of a new contract. That was said to be one of the key reasons Bregman opted for the Cubs’ offer instead, though others have claimed the Red Sox botched the negotiation in other ways.
Bregman’s departure renewed criticism from Red Sox fans about the organization’s perceived unwillingness to go the extra mile to keep top players. The Cubs signed him for $175 million over five years, a price the Red Sox apparently were not willing to match. Boston will make that out to be Bregman’s problem, but it is not clear whether fans will actually believe them.
