MLB News: Alex Bregman's absurd contract, Padres and Pivetta get desperate, more

Pitchers and catchers have reported for all teams, and that means spring training is on the horizon.

With the winter coming to a close, the remaining free agents needed to find a home for the 2025 quickly. That impending ultimatum led to some notable deals this week, including a massive contract for a former Houston Astros star.

Let's dig into the big deals from around baseball this week.

Alex Bregman supplies Red Sox with righty bat at a high price

After so many rumors about Bregman wanting a long-term deal, the third baseman settled for a three-year contract that comes equipped with a huge AAV and tons of opt-outs with the Boston Red Sox.

It appears that Bregman will be tasked with playing second base in 2025 as the team waits out the development of top prospect Kristian Campbell. In the future, it's possible Bregman moves back to third while Rafael Devers moves over to first.

Regardless of his defensive home, Bregman's right-handed power bat should neatly fit into the middle of Boston's lineup. Lefties Jarren Durran, Triston Casas, and Devers should serve as brilliant table-setters for Bregman, who will enjoy taking aim at the Green Monster after nine seasons of hunting down the Crawford Boxes in Houston.

Padres ink Nick Pivetta to team-friendly deal, likely pushing out Cease or King

Nick Pivetta, who shockingly turned down the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer earlier this offseason, finally found a home for 2025, though he had to settle for a lesser contract than he was likely hoping for when he spurned the Red Sox for free agency.

Pivetta gives the Padres a reliable No. 4 heading into the 2025 season, which matters a whole lot as ace Joe Musgrove sits out the campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His arrival will likely push Dylan Cease out the door, though Michael King could be the main casualty if San Diego is blown away with an offer.

Pivetta is hardly a strong consolation prize in the face of losing Roki Sasaki (and others) to the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, but credit San Diego for not punting on the season entirely just yet. The NL West is going to be a gauntlet this year.

MLB News Lightning Round

Dodgers finish solidifying rotation with Kershaw reunion

This should come as a surprise to no one, but Clayton Kershaw is officially back with the Dodgers for the 2025 season. The move gives them the deepest and most talented starting rotation in baseball this year, but don't call it the best pitching staff ever quite yet.

Angels nab closer for trade deadline fodder purposes

The Los Angeles Angels have had a pretty quintessential "rebuilding-team" offseason, signing a ton of veterans to one-year deals while hoping some of them perform well in the first half so they can be shipped off in exchange for prospects at the trade deadline. Closer Kenley Jansen is the latest addition to the squad, and the 37-year-old should have little competition for L.A's closer job while he remains in town.

Anthony Rendon will miss a lot of time... again

We'll wrap up with another story that won't surprise any baseball fans in Los Angeles, as third baseman Anthony Rendon is undergoing a "long-term hip surgery" that will threaten his availability for the 2025 season. His contract continues to be one of the worst in sports history, and the Angels won't be out from under it until after the 2026 season.

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