The Red Sox's failure to include a no-trade clause proved a crucial factor in missing out on signing their primary target, Bregman.

Boston Red Sox's top offseason acquisition target — star third baseman Alex Bregman — reached an agreement yesterday with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year, $175 million contract. Besides a lower offer, the Red Sox's refusal to include a no-trade clause in the deal was also a key reason for failing to re-sign Bregman.

Bregman's contract with the Cubs carries an average annual salary of $35 million, slightly above previous estimates, and includes a full no-trade clause. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added that $70 million of the guaranteed total (40%) is deferred payment, making the actual average annual present value approximately $30 to $31 million.

According to local Boston media, the Red Sox offered a five-year, $165 million deal with substantial deferred payments but did not include a no-trade clause. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe noted that the Red Sox's offer "had a clear gap in financial terms and failed to provide a full no-trade clause like the Cubs did."

MassLive reporter Chris Cotillo further emphasized the importance of the no-trade clause. He explained that due to internal team policies, the Red Sox never offer full no-trade clauses to players, "which ultimately became the main sticking point between both sides." Bregman, who has children, values stability and, after switching teams twice in consecutive years, hopes to settle long-term in one city.

After failing to re-sign Bregman, the Red Sox have yet to sign any major league free agents this offseason. Currently, only the Red Sox and Colorado Rockies remain without formal free agent signings, but the Rockies recently agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with Michael Lorenzen (not yet officially registered), making the Red Sox the only team in the league with no acquisitions from the free agent market so far.