Alex Bregman Joins The Cubs On A $175 Million Deal

Last offseason, the Chicago Cubs made a strong push to sign Alex Bregman. The star third baseman was departing the Houston Astros, and the Cubs wanted his veteran presence, championship experience, and solid bat to complement their lineup. Instead, Bregman joined the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million deal, with player options after the first and second seasons.

The Cubs had to wait a year, but they finally got their guy. Bregman indeed opted out of his Red Sox contract after one season, signing a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs instead. The $35 million average annual value is a franchise record. However, reporter Ken Rosenthal noted $70 million of the contract will be deferred, so the present day value of the deal will be closer to the $30 to $31 million range. Additionally, the contract includes a full no-trade clause. Unlike Bregman's Red Sox deal, there are no opt-outs with this new contract.

Bregman is now one of the few players on the Cubs who's inked to a long-term deal. Many of the team's key players are entering free agency after this upcoming season, which makes Bregman's arrival even more important.

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Chicago finished 92-70 last year, which was good enough to earn a Wild Card spot. The Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card round before losing to the their NL Central rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, in five games during the divisional round.

The Cubs expect to compete for a divisional title again this season, and they have their sights set higher than an early-round playoff exit. Bregman's leadership presence and baseball IQ will be a welcome addition to the roster.

The Astros drafted Bregman with the second pick of the 2015 draft. He spent nine years in Houston; during his tenure, the team reached seven consecutive American League Championship Series and won two World Series, one in 2017 and another in 2022. He's made three All-Star teams in his career and was the runner up in AL MVP voting during the 2019 season. For his career, he's posted .273/.360/.462 batting splits, with 209 home runs and 725 RBIs.

Last year, Bregman missed a month and a half of the season due to a quadriceps injury. However, he started the year strong and it ended it well, too. The Cubs are hoping to get more of that stellar production for the rest of the decade. They're willing to pay a premium to make it happen.