Red Sox News & Links: Alex Bregman did not give Sox chance to match Cubs’ offer

As the dust settles on the Alex Bregman departure, details about the Red Sox failed free agent pursuit are starting to trickle out. Unsurprisingly, Alex Speier has a ton of interesting nuggets, including: the Red Sox had a trade for Nolan Arenado all but completed last offseason until Bregman and Scott Boras approached the Sox and suggested a high-AAV, short-term deal; the Sox presented a 5-year, $165 million deal early in this offseason and were hesitant to increase the offer out of fear that they would be bidding against themselves; and Bregman did not give the Red Sox a chance to match or beat the Cubs’s winning offer. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

If you’re wondering why Bregman wouldn’t give the Sox a chance to match Chicago, the answer seems to be primarily tied to the Sox’ refusal to grant him a no-trade clause. “Had the Sox granted him no-trade protection and negotiated more favorable deferrals, Bregman would still be with the team, according to a source familiar with the process.” (Pete Abraham, Boston Globe)

So what’s next for the Sox? One MLB insider says they will now look at an even bigger free agent target:

But a Bo Bichette signing doesn’t seem too likely at this point to me. We’ve yet to hear any concrete details about the Sox potential pursuit of Bichette, who recently met with the Dave Dombrowski-led Phillies and reportedly came away impressed. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)

In fact, according to Craig Breslow, the post-Bregman pivot may not involve a bat at all: “We will try to continue to add offense, but leaning into pitching and defense is another way to boost our win total,” he says in this interview. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

To that end, how does a trade for Freddy Peralta sound? According to Ken Rosenthal, the Sox have talked to the Brewers about a potential deal. They also met with Framber Valdez, though that was earlier in the offseason, before the Sonny Gray deal. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)

Will dreaming on 16-year-old international prospects make you feel better? The international amateur signing period opens up tomorrow, and here’s a primer on how it works. (Jesse Borek, MLB.com)