When it comes to admiring your stars, be it Aaron Judge or Alex Bregman or Freddie Freeman or anyone—the moment you see them, you do get star-struck, right? But not just fans; even the players who play alongside get bamboozled. Because, no matter how many innings one has dominated on a college mound, stepping into a major league field for the first time feels like a different world. For rookies, it’s not just lights, camera, and pressure- it’s about getting to share the diamond with players they grew up watching. Their idols!

That’s exactly the reality Boston Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle has been living. The 22-year-old, who was pitching in the Big 12 last year, is in MLB and is now shying away from admitting that he has been, in his words, “star-struck.” And who could blame him?

When your first experience at Fenway includes tossing the ball back and forth with stars like Alex Bregman and Trevor Story, two stars with All-Star nods and World Series titles, it’s not something usual.

Tolle didn’t shy away from expressing these feelings, saying, “The first time Bregman threw the ball back to me on the mound, he threw it really hard, which was the first ‘Whoa’ moment. After that—I might have said it under my breath; I don’t know if he saw me say it—but every time I caught the ball, I was like, “Thank you, Alex Bregman!” So it’s been nothing short of a dream for him.

However, while he is busy pinching himself over the experience, Alex Bregman is looking at what’s in front. And he just sent their rival New York Yankees a warning: “It’s a tough division, and obviously we’re a few games back right now, but we are still fighting for that division title.” The $120 million third baseman is making sure that Boston is not settling down for the Wild Card and that they will try their best.

For now, Boston still needs to meet the Yanks—but they are ready for it. Bregman says, “It’s so cool playing against those guys. Just fun games, pressure-packed, great environment. It was a lot of fun living out that childhood dream watching those games on TV and watching them play in October.’’ While the sportsmanship is great, it also highlights that maybe teams are not scared to face Boston. Moreover, didn’t Alex Cora also say he loved coming to the Bronx? Also, how long Tolle will get to enjoy the company of Bregman remains to be seen.

Will Boston pay up to keep Alex Bregman around?

The biggest question mark Boston fans have after the playoff contention is Alex Bregman and his future in Boston. Because if he decides to opt out of his contract, then one thing is sure—the Red Sox need to open their pockets to keep him in Fenway. And it’s not like they didn’t see this coming; they signed Bregman to a three-year $120 million deal with opt-outs. And with how he has played, it’s easy to see why he may test the waters in free agency.

The 30-year-old has been everything Boston hoped he would be. A stabilizing force at third base, and the biggest reason why Boston is not an afterthought when it comes to the playoff picture. In 100 games, he is slashing .279/.361/.474 with 16 home runs, 57 RBIs, 26 doubles, and 57 runs scored. This is not just solid; it is straight-up franchise cornerstone production.

But the catch is that Spotrac projects Bregman’s market value at roughly $158 million for six years. That’s more than fair, given he has stepped up not just on the field but also as a leader in the clubhouse. If Boston wants to avoid losing him, perhaps the smart way would be to restructure. Keeping the final two years of his current deal and then maybe increasing the annual value, like four years at $140 million. They have to do whatever they can because players like Bregman don’t always come around.