The Chicago Cubs’ pursuit of star third baseman Alex Bregman — a journey that began last offseason — has culminated in bringing him to the North Side.
The Cubs agreed to a deal Saturday with Bregman, a source confirmed to the Tribune, for a reported five years and $175 million.
The Cubs have long resisted the recent increasing trend of including deferrals in long-term deals. That stance changed with Bregman. The Cubs reportedly are deferring $70 million of the contract, lowering the deal’s annual average value and, depending on the breakdown, potentially keeping them under the luxury-tax threshold for 2026.
The Cubs were among three teams in contention to sign Bregman last spring training before the longtime Houston Astros slugger chose to sign with the Boston Red Sox, who were willing to include an opt-out after the 2025 season, which Bregman exercised. The Cubs were unwilling to offer one until after the second year of the deal.
This time, Bregman’s five-year contract with the Cubs reportedly has no opt-outs and includes a full no-trade clause. The Cubs’ offer to Bregman in February 2025 was for four years and $115 million with opt-outs after 2026 and 2027.
The contract is the largest that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has given to a free agent since signing shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million contract before the 2023 season.
The addition of Bregman, 31 — on the heels of trading with the Miami Marlins for a potential top-of-the-rotation arm in right-hander Edward Cabrera — signals that the Cubs are serious about building off of a 92-win season that featured their first playoff series victory since 2017.
Bregman, a three-time All-Star, gives the Cubs a big bat to replace Kyle Tucker, who has not yet signed with another team.
Signing Bregman creates uncertainty for how Matt Shaw fits in for regular at-bats after becoming the starter at third base last year. He could fill a super-utility role off the bench with his experience in the minors at second base and shortstop.
Bregman last season hit .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 114 games for the Red Sox. He’s a career .272 hitter with 209 homers and 725 RBIs over 10 seasons, the first nine of which were with the Astros. He won World Series rings in 2017 and 2022 in Houston and finished second in American League MVP voting in 2019.
ESPN was first to report the deal and the terms of the agreement.
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