Alex Bregman
All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman headed east to Boston after eight seasons with the Houston Astros, featuring two World Series titles. The former 2015 second-overall draft pick signed a 3-year $120 million deal on Feb. 12. The deal includes a player opt-out after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, before Bregman will hit free agency again in 2027.
The deal is the largest contract for a Jewish position player in MLB history, breaking the record set by Ryan Braun’s $105 million over five years for the Milwaukee Brewers. It also has the highest AAV at $40 million per year. Boston’s Jewish general manager and former player Craig Breslow negotiated the deal.
Bregman has played third base in every appearance this season, notably not moving to second base.. Boston’s star player, Rafael Devers, previously manned the hot corner, but has gone against past statements of not wanting to swap positions. He told reporters recently that he wants to win.
The Red Sox took action to address a dreadful year of second base production, signing the top infielder on the free-agent market. Boston ranked last in baseball for wins above replacement from second base. Their .250 on-base percentage and .282 slugging percentage also ranked last in the league.
Bregman’s right-handed swing is perfect for Fenway Park and its iconic Green Monster in left field. In 21 career games played at Fenway, Bregman’s .409 on-base percentage, .750 slugging percentage and 1.240 OPS are each the all-time leaders of all players with 75 plate appearances in Fenway Park.
Bregman also has a plethora of playoff experience. In addition to his two World Series titles in 2017 and 2022, Bregman is also 9th all-time in career postseason home runs with 19.
Bregman is the 23rd Jewish player in the history of the Boston Red Sox organization. He is the first Jewish player in Boston since pitcher Richard Bleier in 2023 and the first Jewish position player since Kevin Pillar in 2020.
The Red Sox enter the 2025 season in a three-year postseason drought. Boston will lean on Bregman as a key piece in their lineup as they look to return to October baseball and possibly win the American League East for the first time since 2018.
Max Fried
Following a seven-year stint with the Atlanta Braves that included a 2021 World Series ring, Max Fried signed with the New York Yankees on Dec. 17. The deal is an 8-year contract worth $218 million.
The contract is the largest guaranteed to a left-handed pitcher and the fourth highest for any pitcher in MLB history. No Jewish player has received a larger contract than Fried, who has blown past outfielder Ryan Braun’s previous record holder, a five-year $105 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Fried projected as the second-best pitcher in the Yankees’ rotation before injuries recently thrust him into the ace role. Fried previously held that spot for Atlanta from 2020 to 2022.
Fried is coming off an All-Star 2024 campaign that included an 11-10 record with a 3.25 earned run average and 166 strikeouts.
Since his debut on Aug. 8, 2017, Fried ranks third among all left-handed pitchers in ERA at 3.07 and leads that group in wins with 73.
While beset by injuries, the Yankees look to build on a 94-68 season in which they won the AL East and the AL Pennant, leading to high expectations for the 2025 season. Fried could lead the path back to the postseason.
On Saturday, Fried started the Yankees’ second game of the season and earned his first win as the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Brewers 20-9.
Spencer Horwitz
First baseman Spencer Horwitz traveled across the Midwest in a surprising trade saga on Dec. 10. The Toronto Blue Jays traded the Maryland native to the Cleveland Guardians before another trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with only four hours separating the deals.
The 27-year-old broke out in 2024 as a key member of the Blue Jays’ lineup. He led all rookies in on-base percentage (.357) and had the highest OPS across American League rookies. Horwitz’s season-long contributions placed him in a tie for fourth all-time in total value from Blue Jays rookies, according to Wins Above Replacement.
The Cleveland Guardians played middleman to facilitate Horwitz’s move to the Pirates. They packaged second baseman Andres Gimenez, a former all-star and a three-time Gold Glove winner, alongside reliever Nick Sandlin to the Blue Jays. The Pirates shipped swingman pitcher Luis Ortiz and two prospects to Cleveland for Horwitz.
Horwitz slots in as the Pirates’ first baseman of the future, providing an on-base profile that could aid in snapping Pittsburgh’s decade-long playoff drought. His debut in black and gold will remain on hold until he fully heals from right wrist surgery.
Joc Pederson
After a successful summer in the Arizona desert, Joc Pederson signed with the Texas Rangers on Dec. 30 with a 2-year $37 million deal. The 32-year-old inked his first multi-year contract but retained the option to return to free agency after the 2025 season.
Pederson has established himself as a player who can excel at specific skills. The Team Israel alum is a role player who provides an offensive punch, albeit without any defensive value. The left-handed hitting Pederson proves powerful as a platoon option, torching opposite-handed pitchers.
Among qualified hitters last season, Pederson’s .923 OPS against right-handed pitching placed tenth in baseball. His 94th percentile walk rate powered a .392 on-base percentage against right-handers, which placed sixth in baseball.
Texas declined in 2024 with a 78-84 record after their first World Series win in 2023. The Rangers have rebuilt this offseason and are expected to compete with the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners for the American League West division title.
The Rangers’ projected 2025 lineup before adding Pederson only contained two left-handed hitters. After trading first baseman Nate Lowe, Texas needed to address their lineup imbalance immediately. Seventy percent of opposing in-division pitchers are right-handed, increasing the urgency for Texas to load up on lefties.
Joc Pederson will be the fourth Jewish player in Texas Rangers franchise history. No Jew has played there since pitcher Scott Feldman in 2012. The last Jewish hitter was back in 1973, when Mike Epstein, nicknamed the “Super Jew,” manned first base.
Kevin Pillar
Outfielder Kevin Pillar returned to MLB for a 13th season. He considered retirement over the offseason before electing to continue his career. On Feb. 24, Pillar signed a Minor League contract with the Texas Rangers with an invitation to Spring Training.
Pillar made the most of that invite, hitting .273 in 44 ABs with 9 RBIs. His power may be sapped by age, but Pillar remains an elite defender. In his 12-year career, he has only committed 23 errors and has a fielding percentage above the league average at .991.
Pillar’s 2016 season for the Toronto Blue Jays is tied for the 15th most valuable defensive season in MLB history, according to Defensive Runs Saved. His nickname is “Superman” for a reason.
Pillar will not be an everyday starter in the lineup, as the Rangers have a young and talented outfield in Leody Taveras, Adolis Garcia and Wyatt Langford. However, Pillar should fill in on their off days to bring his elite defensive capabilities into the lineup.
Richard Bleier
Left-handed reliever Richard Bleier retired over the offseason, ending eight years in MLB and 17 years in professional baseball.
The 183rd overall pick in 2008 waited eight years to debut before joining the Yankees on May 30, 2016. He excelled in the Yankees bullpen and his 1.96 ERA ranked fifth among all rookie relievers in 2016.
The Yankees elected to move on from Bleier in that offseason, sending him to the Baltimore Orioles on Feb. 21, 2017. Bleier now had a runway as a higher leverage reliever and he made the most of it. From 2017-2018, he led all relievers with a 1.97 ERA, while striking out the fewest batters in baseball.
Bleier’s old school skillset, featuring low velocity, few strikeouts and abundant ground balls, endeared him to fans across the league. After a poor 2019, the Orioles sent Bleier to the Miami Marlins in exchange for a prospect.
Bleier never reached his Baltimore peak again, but his three seasons of work for the Marlins remained top tier. Bleier tied for the second fewest home runs allowed between 2020 and 2022 with only seven. The southpaw still generated the fourth most ground balls in that span and rode that success to a new career breakthrough.
Bleier famously aided the Marlins in snapping a 17-year playoff drought in 2020. He pitched two scoreless innings across the Marlins’ playoff run.
Richard Bleier will be best remembered for his 2017 season in Baltimore. That year remains historic as one of the most impressive in baseball history for any pitcher. Bleier holds the all-time record for the most relief appearances with a sub-2.00 ERA and fewer than 30 strikeouts.
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Harrison Bader
Outfielder Harrison Bader seeks a rebound for the Minnesota Twins after a year with the New York Mets. Consecutive disappointing seasons have limited his earning ceiling, forcing him into a backup role this offseason. The Twins officially agreed to terms with the center fielder on Feb. 7.
While Bader played the most games of his career in 2024, his bat remained cold and led the Mets to take away his starting role. The former St. Louis Cardinal has struggled to find offensive consistency since 2021, excluding an outstanding playoff run with the New York Yankees in 2022.
Bader’s contract guarantees $6.25 million through a dispersed structure. Bader collects a $750,000 signing bonus, a $4 million salary for the season and he will receive $1.5 million if the Twins decline a $10 million option for the 2026 season.
The 30-year-old outfielder will also have the opportunity to earn an additional $2 million through incentives. He would be compensated $500,000 if the Twins trade him. The remaining $1.5 million comes from escalating bonuses based on playing time thresholds.
Bader should slot in as a backup outfielder to spell Twins star Byron Buxton from center field duties. He will also be in the mix to start in left field, battling Willi Castro, Trevor Larnach and DaShawn Kiersey Jr. for playing time. He is already off to a strong start with the first Twins home run of the season.
HARRISON BADER‼️ pic.twitter.com/66XkU3NsZK
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 27, 2025
Matt Mervis
First baseman Matt Mervis exchanged the Windy City for Miami beaches after a Dec. 29 trade between the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins. Miami parted with speedy utility man Vidal Brujan in the one-for-one swap.
Mervis, a D.C. native, looks to take the next step after repeating the Triple-A level in 2024. The Cubs had multiple players higher on the first base depth chart and Mervis became expendable after declining between 2023 and 2024.
The Marlins are in the middle of a new rebuild and have open positions across the field. Mervis could build on a solid 2025 Spring Training, highlighted by four home runs in 50 at bats, to earn the everyday first base role for Miami.
