Cubs final offer to Alex Bregman revealed as focus turns to what's next

The news of the night on Wednesday was the Boston Red Sox winning the Alex Bregman sweepstakes to the tune of a three-year deal with an All-Star third baseman worth $120MM and player options after the first two years.

The Cubs were at the center of the Bregman sweepstakes for much of the past week. Once the terms of Bregman's deal with the Red Sox were revealed, the immediate sense was the Red Sox had a "hold my beer" moment while deciding they were not going to lose the pursuit. A deal where he is getting paid $40MM each season while having the option to opt out each season would have been a foolish decision to pass up.

Not that it matters much but the Cubs' offer was more in-line with the expectations of what Bregman was likely to receive.

There is a segment of the Cubs' fanbase that will turn a blind eye to the logic behind the Cubs' offer. This is a segment that Jed Hoyer will never be able to win over. Even if the Cubs had signed Bregman, the same segment likely would have been critical of the front office for blocking Matt Shaw at third base.

Like it or not, the Bregman sweepstakes came down to Red Sox making sure they were not going to be topped. That is the only other way you can view Bregman being in the same discussion as Aaron Judge in terms of how much he makes per season,

Before talking about what is next for the Cubs, a quick shoutout to North Side Baseball. Matthew Trueblood has been all over the Cubs' pursuit of Bregman. The final reporting of the Cubs' offers matches what Trueblood first reported.

What's next for the Cubs after not signing Alex Bregman?

It would seem that a quick pivot to bolstering their bench may be the immediate domino to fall for the Cubs after Bregman decided to sign with the Red Sox. The Cubs have been linked to Justin Turner in recent days, and Turner reportedly has already convinced his family to spend a summer in Chicago. If Signed, Turner would likely be used as the primary backup first baseman on the Cubs' roster while being the "in case of emergency, break glass" option at third base.

The Cubs have about $30MM in space before they reach the first level of the luxury-tax threshold. In past seasons, the Cubs have often left about $10MM in space to allow for in-season moves. Assuming that same logic applies, the Cubs could look to spend an additional $20MM before the start of the season. However, an addition to that extent would likely be done through trade.