Jed Hoyer's third base comments all but confirm Alex Bregman pursuit is over
Yesterday at 08:46 PM
The Chicago Cubs have been in the market for a hard-hitting player who can drive the baseball and hit home runs. After they traded outfielder Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees, it appeared the Cubs would have a legitimate interest in signing 3rd baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.
The hard-hitting Bregman has spent his career with the Houston Astros, but he remains available long after the first wave of free agents have been signed. The Cubs no longer appear to be in the running for Bregman, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale after speaking with team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. Chicago is much more likely to find its third baseman from inside the organization rather than looking to free agency to fill the role.
Now that the Cubs are apparently out of the running for Bregman, the teams that are most interested include the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox have one of the game’s outstanding third baseman in Rafael Devers, so if they signed Bregman he would need to move to another position. He may be willing to do just that.
But one thing Bregman is not willing to do is take a shorter term deal. Agent Scott Boras spoke of his client’s status within Major League Baseball. “Bregman’s a championship player, teams know it,” Boras said, per Newsweek.com. “It’s really a matter of his decision-making and theirs, about how you can close up that gap. There’s substantial interest (in long-term) deals.”
Bregman has a strong history, but Cubs may be wary
The 30-year-old Bregman has won a number of honors throughout his career. He has been a part of two World Series-winning teams, made two American League All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award. He also won the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2018 when he homered in the 10th inning of an 8-6 American League victory at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
Bregman is coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .260/.315/.453 with 25 home runs and 75 runs batted in. Those numbers were down from previous seasons and the Cubs may some concern because he will turn 31 early in the 2025 season.
Bregman had his best season in 2019 when when he slashed .296/.423/.592 while hammering 41 home runs and driving in a career-best 112 runs. He also walked an American League-high 119 times. That performance allowed him to finish second in American League MVP voting.
While Bregman has never hit .300 in his career, he has never been below the .259 mark. He has consistently shown a great eye at the plate, but his 44 bases on balls last season was his fewest since 2021.
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