They need to get him signed, even if the terms sting a little, and even if the length of the deal brings pause.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman is "almost certainly off the table" in trade talks, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan.

Once seen as deadline sellers, Boston entered the All-Star Break on a 10-game winning streak, catapulting the team into playoff contention. When ESPN updated its top 50 trade candidates on Monday, Bregman was notably absent. The story comes three days after Jeff Passan, who co-wrote the piece, poured cold water on a potential Bregman trade.