The Chicago Cubs have recently emerged as a potential suitor for star third baseman Alex Bregman.
Spring training has begun, yet the two-time World Series champion remains unsigned. The Houston Astros are unlikely to keep him at this point, with their general manager, Dana Brown even talking about him in the past tense and going as far as to say they lost him.
However, that doesn’t mean a pairing with the Cubs is necessarily likely. According to Bob Nightengale, the Cubs themselves face a roadblock in the race for Bregman.
“While the Cubs continue to talk to agent Scott Boras about Bregman, there’s no indication that the Cubs would be willing to offer more than a three-year contract,” Nightengale reported. “There’s also no sign that Bregman would dramatically lower his asking price when he already has at least one six-year offer on the table.”
This may ultimately put a damper on the Cubs chances to sign Bregman. He may eventually have to take a short-term deal with a high annual value, which would leave the Cubs in the mix, but as of now, he is not interested in such an arrangement.
Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs, 75 RBI and a 4.1 WAR during the 2024 season with the Astros. While he is entering his age-31 season, he remains a productive player and one of the top run-producers in the league.
The Cubs would certainly benefit from having him around in 2025 and potentially even beyond. But at the moment, they do face a bit of a disadvantage in the sweepstakes.
We’ll see if the Cubs can land him on a short-term deal.
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