Cubs and Red Sox watching as Scott Boras stirs Alex Bregman free agency circus

It feels inevitable that Chicago Cubs fans and Boston Red Sox fans will endure the same circus they did last offseason. The Red Sox don't appear willing to give Alex Bregman a long-term contract, while the Cubs seem to be enamored with Bregman, but first need to decide how they are addressing their need for a starting pitcher this offseason.

If the Cubs trade for a starting pitcher, like MacKenzie Gore or Edward Cabrera, it would seem that they will turn to free agency and Bregman to address the fact that Kyle Tucker won't be returning to the team next season. The Red Sox remain the favorites for Bregman, but are entertaining trade talks that could make their interest in a reunion moot.

Scott Boras drags the Mariners into the Alex Bregman drama between the Cubs and Red Sox

Meanwhile, Scott Boras, the ringleader of Bregman's free agency charade, seems to be trying to apply pressure to both Chicago and Boston. The Seattle Times' Adam Jude reports that Boras approached the Seattle Mariners at the Winter Meetings, suggesting that the All-Star third baseman would have "a willingness to consider" joining the Mariners if Seattle gets involved in the bidding.

Jude rules out the Mariners being a serious bidder for Bregman, considering Seattle has often shied away from the top of the free-agent market in recent years.

With the Red Sox not in a rush to re-sign Bregman, and the Cubs waiting for Boston to strike first on a different front, trying to involve a third team is one of the only levers that Boras could pull. However, with how Jude framed the report, it seems the attempt was quickly snuffed out.

The only scenario where the Cubs strike first for Bregman would be if they trade for a cost-controlled starting pitcher. That would leave the Cubs with plenty of money to sign Bregman to the long-term deal that he has been seeking for the last two years. The Cubs did offer Bregman a four-year deal last winter with an opt-out after the second year. Given their belief in Bregman, the person and player, it doesn't sound like they are afraid of a long-term commitment.

Once the Cubs add a starting pitcher, things on the Bregman front could move quickly. Until then, the staring contest with Boston and Boras continues.