Alex Bregman had options this offseason, and amongst the front-running suitors stood the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs.
Bregman, a free agent nearly until the start of spring training, chose to sign with the Red Sox and agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract. Chicago finished in second place with a reported four-year offer worth $115 million extended to Bregman, which was met with rejection. The failed pursuit didn’t define or overshadow everything else the Cubs did this offseason, however, the front office views it as a major loss.
Chicago really wanted Bregman at Wrigley Field this season.
“The Cubs look much improved, with a bolstered bullpen thanks to the acquisitions of Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan, Cody Poteet, and Caleb Thielbar, and of course the new marquee man, outfielder Kyle Tucker,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Monday. “But the acquisition they really wanted to make was star third baseman Alex Bregman, who would have given them the game’s best defensive infield and made them clear division favorites.”
Heyman continued: “The Cubs and Red Sox apparently were Bregman’s preferred destinations, but Chicago’s best offer of $115 million over four years couldn’t touch winning Boston’s $120M over three, even with significant deferrals in the Red Sox deal.”
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Bregman’s Red Sox deal grants the two-time World Series champion an opt-out option after the first season in Boston. The Red Sox also made vast improvements, like the Cubs, particularly within their pitching department. Boston added Aroldis Chapman to the bullpen and Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval to the starting rotation while also welcoming a handful of big-league camp invitees to compete for a roster spot.
Boston, dating back to last season’s trade deadline, sought to find a right-handed bat to help bolster the lineup’s power this offseason, hence opening the door for Bregman’s warm welcome to Fenway Park. He’s a proven hitter, especially at Fenway Park, and a versatile infielder capable of playing third and second base. — all reasons that enticed Chicago as well.
“Obviously, disappointed. He’s a great player — was a great fit,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. “It’s free agency. Ultimately, they got a deal in structure and amount that we couldn’t match, but that’s just the nature of it. But I’m thankful that I was able to pursue it. It was a really good opportunity. Now, we move forward.”
Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 last season with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs, logging 145 appearances with the Houston Astros. He also became a first-time Gold Glove Award recipient after recording a .972 fielding percentage at third base.
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“We made the best offer that we could make. To me, that’s competitive,” Hoyer said. “Within the structure and our finances, we made the best offer we could make.”
The Cubs finished 83-79 last season and missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
Featured image via Chris Tilley/Imagn Images
