Just days after the Cubs brought in Edward Cabrera via trade, Alex Bregman is reportedly on his way to the Windy City. Bregman is reportedly signing a five-year deal with the Cubs, bringing in one of baseball’s best offensive third basemen from 2025 to a team that nearly made the NLCS last year.
A Look at Bregman
The Red Sox signed former Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman in February 2025 to a multi-year deal, albeit one with opt-outs. It was a move that allowed Bregman to join the team that originally drafted him & add a big bat to their lineup.
While the fallout from that move had a major effect on the Red Sox’s present and future, Bregman was a hit in Boston. Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 (.821 OPS) with 46 extra-base hits over 114 games. He was one of 38 players to have a BB north of 10% and a K% below 15% (min. 350 PA).
His .356 wOBA ranked among the top-40 in the game (min. 350 PA) during the 2025 campaign. Bregman also ranked among the top four in that position in wOBA, behind Max Muncy (.366), Jose Ramirez (.359), and Junior Caminero (.357).
The 31-year-old Bregman did very well in Houston, as their stadium (fka Minute Maid Park) had a notoriously short left field porch. Well, he joined the Red Sox, a team that plays in Fenway Park and the Green Monster. That short wall in Boston was a key focus of Bregman’s offense.
Bregman was already a pull-lean hitter in Houston. But this past year, Bregman pulled the ball 46.3% of the time, the most he’s done that in a single season since 2021.
As we noted in our fantasy coverage back in early January, Bregman actually had better offensive numbers away from Fenway. But nonetheless, he still picked up 22 extra-base hits over 236 plate appearances.
Bregman has long been adept at being able to catch up to the fastball. Each of the last three years, he posted a sub-10% Whiff% on those types of pitches. And because Bregman doesn’t expand out of the zone (19.8% Chase%) too much, he often puts himself in good situations to hit.
Defensively, Bregman posted a +3 Outs Above Average at third last season. He is a former Gold Glove winner at the position.
Per ESPN, the Cubs will sign Alex Bregman to a five-year deal worth $175MM.
Analysis
It’s been a busy week for the Chicago Cubs, as the team previously acquired pitcher Edward Cabrera — who has several years of team control — a few days ago. Now, add Bregman to the mix.
Before anything else, it’s worth noting that the Cubs don’t have a lot of money committed beyond 2026. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch will be arbitration-eligible, while Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Seiya Suzuki are eligible for free agency after 2026.
If anything, the move locks in a win-now mode, replacing Kyle Tucker‘s presence in the Cubs’ lineup and giving the team a big piece to work with over the next few years.
There’s also the Matt Shaw question to contend with. Shaw played second, short, and third in the Minors, all positions that appear to be filled at the moment. A lot, though, can change between now and March. However, Shaw is the most controllable and inexpensive infielder with impact potential on the Cubs’ roster.
As for the Red Sox, this does change the game. However, given what Bregman got in the open market, was this the type of deal that the team would have been comfortable with? If it were, then Bregman may still be a Sox.
Boston does have infielders on the 40-man roster. Youngsters Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, the latter of whom played third while Bregman was on the IL, didn’t have big rookie seasons. But now, those two take on heightened importance.
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