{"id":32983,"date":"2025-02-10T10:04:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T10:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=32983"},"modified":"2025-02-10T10:04:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T10:04:35","slug":"alex-bregman-could-represent-a-legacy-shaping-deal-for-cubs-president-jed-hoyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=32983","title":{"rendered":"Alex Bregman could represent a legacy-shaping deal for Cubs president Jed Hoyer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MESA, Ariz. \u2014 Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his own future, which is yet another variable as the club pursues Alex Bregman, the All-Star third baseman who could be the difference between a return to the playoffs and sweeping changes throughout the organization.<\/p>\n

Hoyer would not discuss Bregman as Cubs pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Super Bowl Sunday. \u201cI obviously can\u2019t comment on any individual players,\u201d Hoyer said during a media session at the team\u2019s Arizona training complex. \u201cI can\u2019t talk about free agency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding Bregman would confirm the Cubs as the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Central, which is once again projected to be one of the sport\u2019s weakest divisions.<\/p>\n

Hoyer also would not say whether the Ricketts family ownership group and Crane Kenney\u2019s business operations department have given his front office enough financial resources and payroll flexibility to add another significant player in February.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been really focused this offseason on trying to optimize as much as we can within our budget to make sure that we are a really competitive team,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cAnd I think we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Alex<\/p>\n

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Among the Cubs\u2019 contractual commitments for 2024 is Kyle Tucker, who was traded from the Houston Astros. (Carmen Mandato \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has signaled that he expects the club\u2019s major-league payroll to wind up near the $241 million luxury-tax threshold, though the final number will depend on how the free-agent market shakes out, what happens at the trade deadline and whether the team seriously contends for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n

In terms of accounting for the competitive balance tax, the Cubs have already committed almost $210 million, according to the database maintained by FanGraphs, though, again, it\u2019s unclear how high Hoyer has been authorized to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a place where we have a chance to be really good,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to really maximize our resources within our budget to make sure that we can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amid the usual optimism at the start of spring training, Hoyer candidly addressed the uneasy feeling in the final year of his contract, a five-year deal he signed when he was promoted from general manager to replace Theo Epstein after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it feel different than it has in the past?\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cA little bit. I\u2019ve been here for 14 years, and generally in my career I haven\u2019t had much uncertainty. With uncertainty does come a level of anxiety. That would be a lie to say that it doesn\u2019t. Has it caused some introspection along the way? I think that\u2019s fair to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

A deeply experienced executive with connections throughout the baseball industry, Hoyer helped Epstein build the 2016 World Series winner in Chicago, as well as two championship teams for the Boston Red Sox (2004 and 2007).<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things about this job is I do take it really personally,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cYou want to put a winner on the field. You want to be extremely proud of the product that\u2019s out there. And obviously there was a building process to get back to this point.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a really great point as an organization right now. Both this year and going forward, I think there\u2019s a lot of bright times ahead. But, yeah, it feels like there\u2019s increased pressure. There probably should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Alex<\/p>\n

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Over his nine seasons in the big leagues, Alex Bregman has a .272\/.366\/.483 slash line, including a 133 OPS+. (Nick Cammett \/ Diamond Images via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For the Cubs to sign Bregman, he would probably have to lower his expectations from a six- or seven-year deal to a shorter-term contract structure with opt-out clauses. That became the blueprint for Cody Bellinger, another Scott Boras client, who re-signed with the Cubs in late February last year. Signing Bregman would also likely involve using up money that is typically set aside for the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

There is a perception, though, that the Cubs are being particularly cautious about player contracts that extend beyond the current collective bargaining agreement, which is scheduled to expire in December 2026. Though Ricketts is strongly aligned with Hoyer, it\u2019s not entirely clear who will be running baseball operations for the Cubs at that point.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have great autonomy,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cBut whenever it comes to deals of length, especially when that length goes beyond our contractual tenure, obviously, these are not discussions that go on in a vacuum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bregman, who will turn 31 next month, was a two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros. His resume also includes a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove, two All-Star selections and a reputation for being a clubhouse leader.<\/p>\n

The current alternatives for the Cubs at third base \u2014 the only unsettled spot in their everyday lineup \u2014 are either top prospect Matt Shaw (who has zero major-league experience) or a rotation of role players.<\/p>\n

Each player who started a game at third base for the Cubs last season \u2014 Christopher Morel, Isaac Paredes, Nick Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, David Bote, Miles Mastrobuoni and Luis Vazquez \u2014 is no longer in the organization.<\/p>\n

That is part of why Bregman and the Cubs are such an obvious match.<\/p>\n

Hoyer wasn\u2019t exaggerating when he said, \u201cEvery arrow is pointing up in this organization right now.\u201d Outside of the question mark at third base, the Cubs now have Kyle Tucker anchoring the middle of their lineup, Gold Glove defenders all over the field, a robust pitching staff, a stash of top-100 prospects and one of the game\u2019s best managers in Craig Counsell. One more big move could put them over the top.<\/p>\n

(Photo of Jed Hoyer with Craig Counsell: Michael Reaves \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Patrick Mooney<\/strong> is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago\/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adding Bregman would confirm the Cubs as the overwhelming favorite to win the National League Central.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":32984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[282],"class_list":["post-32983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-chicago-cubs"],"yoast_head":"\nAlex Bregman could represent a legacy-shaping deal for Cubs president Jed Hoyer - 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=32983\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alex Bregman could represent a legacy-shaping deal for Cubs president Jed Hoyer - 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