The Chicago Cubs traded Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason as a way to clear the path for Matt Shaw to fight for the opening-day job.
But it’s possible the Cubs could have taken a different path — and still could.
During an appearance on 670 The Score in Chicago, Bruce Levine, who reports on the Cubs, said the franchise loves free-agent slugger Alex Bregman, who is reportedly re-engaging with the Houston Astros on a contract.
But, as transcribed by Michael Cerami at Bleacher Nation, Levine noted that the 30-year-old Bregman had a preference for either New York or Chicago.
So, why isn’t Bregman in either place? It’s not about the money, at least not entirely.
It’s about the contract length. As Levine reported, the free agent is seeking more security than the Cubs and other teams are willing to give.
This is live transcribed, so not word for word, but:
“(Alex) Bregman really wanted to come to New York or Chicago….The Cubs don’t have the inclination to go to 5 years. They love Alex Bregman and they’d love to have him on a 1-3 year situation. Bregman is seen as a $25M/year…
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) January 25, 2025
He and his agent, Scott Boras, want a five-year deal. The Cubs are more interested in getting him into a contract that is one to three years in length.
Levine also reported that “Bregman is seen as a $25 million per year player.”
The salary certainly isn’t an issue. Bregman’s steady career production is well worth the cost. But the Cubs’ lack of desire to give him a contract of that length exposes the root issue of Bregman’s free agency.
The only reported contract offer Bregman has received is the one that he received from the Astros at the start of free agency — a six-year, $156 million offer that he turned down.
If he had signed it, it would have been the longest and most lucrative free-agent contract with Jim Crane as team owner.
He’s a two-time World Series champion, a two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger winner and the reigning AL Gold Glove winner at third base.
The former LSU star has emerged as one of the most consistent power-hitting third basemen in baseball since he arrived in the Majors in 2016 as a 22-year-old.
He has a lifetime slash line of .272/.366/.483/.848 with 191 home runs and 663 RBI. He has 162-game averages of 28 home runs and 97 RBI and has a lifetime WAR of 39.6.
Last year was a bit of a struggle for the right-handed hitter, as he dealt with nagging injuries. Still, he managed a slash line of .260/.315/.453/.768 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI. He’s hit at least 23 home runs in each of his last three seasons, but his career high is 41, set in 2019.
