Jewish Baseball Star Alex Bregman Signs With Boston Red Sox In Record Deal
Alex Bregman, the slugging third baseman who wore a Star of David on his cap following the Oct. 7 attacks, reportedly signed with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in a contract that will give him the highest salary ever for a Jewish baseball player.
The three-year, $120 million deal officially closes Bregman’s tenure with Houston Astros, the team that drafted him second overall in 2015. In nine years with the Astros, Bregman was selected to two All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove and helped lead the organization to its first two World Series trophies. He narrowly missed winning the American League Most Valuable Player award in his 41-home run 2019 season.
Bregman, 30, who was bar mitzvahed in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico — and who had a dog named Koufax growing up — has embraced his Jewish identity publicly during his rise to the pinnacle of the sport. He has lit Hanukkah candles at a Houston synagogue and spoken at Jewish charity events, and he has expressed openness to playing for Team Israel in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
A few days after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Bregman drew the Jewish star in chalk above the bill of the cap before taking the field for a playoff game — and homered a few innings later.
The success was of a theme for Bregman in the postseason, when he is one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport. His 19 playoff home runs place him in a tie for sixth all-time.
The Red Sox have a rich history of Jewish players — and upper management that includes legendary first-baseman Kevin Youkilis, who helped Boston break its World Series curse, and general managers Theo Epstein and Chaim Bloom. But the franchise has not rostered a Jewish player since 2023, when relief pitcher Richard Bleier appeared in 27 games.
While Bregman has bragging rights among Jewish players for average annual value, the Jewish pitcher Max Fried received an even larger contract in December — an eight-year, $218 million deal with the New York Yankees.
Fear not: Bregman’s contract allows him to opt out after each season in pursuit of a bigger payday.
This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox.
Louis Keene is a reporter for the Forward. His work has also been published in The New York Times, New York magazine and Vice. He is based in Los Angeles.