The Boston Red Sox's new obsession is efficiency.
Despite being in one of the country's premier sports markets, the current ownership is committed to making the franchise more profitable by reducing payroll costs.
That's the reason the organization was content losing superstars Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers—they were all decisions made to reset the books.
Operating as a small business is bizarre enough, but the inconsistent philosophy of handing out lucrative deals to the likes of Garrett Crochet and Trevor Story makes the situation even more puzzling.
The Sox splurged last off-season by paying a premium to land Alex Bregman, but the deal has numerous player opt-outs.
With Bregman having a stellar campaign, his future in Boston could come to a premature end.
In a recent piece, CBS Sports' Mike Axisa predicted how Bregman's impending contract saga might end up.
"I don't know about you, but I get the feeling that more than a few teams are sitting here in August saying, 'hmmm, maybe we shouldn't have let Bregman go to the Red Sox when he was sitting there unsigned in February,'" Axisa wrote. "He's a Boras client, so expect Bregman to see what's available in free agency, but I get the sense both sides are motivated to stay together. Boston's cheap (and excellent) young core makes it easy to fit a new contract for Bregman into ownership's not-as-ample-as-it-should-be budget."
Between not adding at this year's deadline and the recent track record, fans in Boston are exhausted by the club's lack of commitment to winning. Losing Bregman so quickly would only drive more supporters away.
GM Craig Breslow is aware enough to understand that reality and would have the motivation to lock his All-Star third baseman down for the foreseeable future.