In the early morning hours of Feb. 13, the Boston Red Sox finalized a deal with former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. 

The Red Sox and Bregman agreed on a three-year deal worth 120 million dollars, with two opt-outs, and deferred money, as reported by Chandler Rome of The Athletic and Jeff Passan of ESPN.

This deal comes months after a slow free-agency period for Bregman. He reportedly turned down an extension from the Houston Astros, which made him a free agent. On the open market, there were many teams with interest in signing the former two-time World Series champion, but it came down to the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Detroit Tigers.

Bregman joins a Red Sox team that finished last season in third place in the AL East with a record of 81-81. Despite their struggles, the Red Sox have one of the brightest futures in baseball. The team has three of the top twelve prospects in baseball according to MLB.com’s top 100 prospect list, even after trading for Chicago White Sox ace, Garret Crochet.

While Bregman has seen a slight decrease in production from his stellar 2018 and 2019 seasons, he’s still been a consistent hitter, averaging around 25 home runs and a .260 batting average each of the last three seasons.

He gives a young Boston Red Sox team a consistent bat with proven playoff experience. While his numbers in recent years may not seem as great as they used to be, he’s still a great hitter to have in your lineup, especially if you’re trying to get back to the playoffs like the Red Sox.

Adding a player like Alex Bregman to the Red Sox lineup sends the message that the team is trying to win again. They might not have the experience or talent to win a World Series this upcoming season, but by the end of Bregman’s contract, the Red Sox will be a force to be reckoned with in the American League.

Things are starting to look up for the Boston Red Sox and their fans again after a few disappointing years. This signing is huge for baseball because the sport is better when the Red Sox are good.