{"id":135509,"date":"2026-01-06T17:02:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509"},"modified":"2026-01-06T17:02:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:02:34","slug":"cubs-push-hard-for-bregman-as-free-agency-stalemate-drags-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Push Hard for Bregman as Free Agency Stalemate Drags On"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

IMAGE: Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. \/ Brett Davis \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

MLB free agency has felt like a broken record this winter-big names on the board, teams circling, and a whole lot of waiting. With spring training inching closer, we\u2019re still looking at a market that\u2019s more stalled than sizzling.<\/p>\n

While relievers and power bats got scooped up early-nearly $300 million spent on bullpen arms before Christmas-the pace since then has slowed to a crawl. Big-market teams have hit pause.<\/p>\n

Trades have taken the spotlight. And across front offices, patience has replaced urgency.<\/p>\n

That brings us to Alex Bregman, one of the biggest names still in play. The All-Star third baseman is drawing serious interest, and while the list of suitors has narrowed, the race is far from over.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Cubs remain in the mix, pursuing Bregman for the second straight offseason. They\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

The Boston Red Sox are still considered the frontrunner, but the Toronto Blue Jays are lurking-and they haven\u2019t gone away quietly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fascinating standoff. The Red Sox are juggling multiple possibilities, including a potential move for Isaac Paredes.<\/p>\n

But the Bregman sweepstakes have become more complicated than expected. Toronto\u2019s offseason moves, including the addition of Kazuma Okamoto, didn\u2019t close the door on Bregman-they left it cracked open.<\/p>\n

The Jays are still evaluating how another big bat might fit into their lineup. It wouldn\u2019t derail their plans, but it would certainly reshape their roster.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Cubs are waiting. So is Bregman.<\/p>\n

And timing is everything. Arbitration week tends to put a freeze on big-ticket signings, and that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re seeing now.<\/p>\n

Teams are working through their internal priorities, trying to balance budgets, and in some cases, waiting on trade dominoes to fall-like Arizona, which is effectively sidelined unless they move Ketel Marte.<\/p>\n

For Boston, the pressure is real. They\u2019ve been in the driver\u2019s seat, but Toronto\u2019s presence keeps them from getting too comfortable.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s persistence adds another wrinkle. And with the Mets and Yankees focused elsewhere-namely Cody Bellinger-the Bregman chase has quietly become one of the most intriguing storylines of this offseason.<\/p>\n

So here we are: less than seven weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting, and one of the league\u2019s premier infielders is still unsigned. The market\u2019s slow, but the stakes are high.<\/p>\n

Teams are playing the long game, but eventually, someone\u2019s going to make a move. And when they do, it could shift the balance of power in the American League.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. \/ Brett Davis \/ Imagn… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCubs Push Hard for Bregman as Free Agency Stalemate Drags On - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs Push Hard for Bregman as Free Agency Stalemate Drags On - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"IMAGE: Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. \/ Brett Davis \/ Imagn...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T17:02:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rinrin-50.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=135509\",\"name\":\"Cubs Push Hard for Bregman as Free Agency Stalemate Drags On - 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