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A secret meeting with Pete Alonso at this week's Winter Meetings seems to have opened the door of hope in the minds of at least some Chicago Cubs fans longing to see Jed Hoyer make a big splash this offseason.
Although Alonso now calls Camden Yards home after inking a five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles, another top free-agent bat, Alex Bregman, remains unsigned. The Cubs' chief competition for the two-time World Series champion seems to be the team he spent the 2025 season with - and the only other club that met with Alonso in Orlando: the Boston Red Sox.
We'll see how Bregman's market shapes up as the offseason continues, but at least one Cubs player wouldn't mind seeing him in Cubbie Blue come spring, in four-time Gold Glover Ian Happ.
.@ihapp_1 thinks that Alex Bregman’s bat would fit very well in the Cubs’ lineup 👀 pic.twitter.com/xSDe0SELDA
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 11, 2025
Alex Bregman could help balance out the Cubs' lineup in 2026
Happ, the team's longest-tenured player at this point, is heading into his 10th season with Chicago and is ready for more postseason action in 2026. He points out that Bregman balances out a lineup that could soon feel very left-handed heavy. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros all hit from the left side and Bregman's polished approach from the right side could offset that in years to come.
Not to mention, Bregman brings a ton of knowledge and experience to the table and is widely regarded as one of the best veteran clubhouse presences in the league. With long-term uncertainty in the infield given Nico Hoerner is heading into his final year of control (and drawing trade interest this winter), Bregman's ability to play second or third could be valuable to the Cubs.
Adding a long-term piece like Bregman would add some certainty to the team's future. Hoerner will be joined in free agency next winter by Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. Unless you're ready to turn things over to the kids, this is a team that needs some more veteran pieces in place past 2026 - and Bregman fits the bill perfectly.