The Boston Red Sox should make it back to the playoffs in 2025 and the addition of former Houston Astros All-Star Alex Bregman certainly should help with this. Bregman entered the offseason as one of the best overall players heading to the open market.

Bregman is also adjusting well to his new organization. Other players have been wowed by his eternal quest for betterment, especially top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell, who were stunned when the veteran star opted to sit with them at lunch and spend two hours chatting with them on his first day in camp.

After an offseason so productive that The Athletic gave the Red Sox a solid grade of “A,” Boston’s spring training got off to a rocky start with an instant controversy that placed the team’s premier player right at the heart of it.