Cubs' secret Pete Alonso meeting makes an Alex Bregman deal feel likelier than ever

Seriously, it feels like we're stuck in Groundhog Day sometimes. The Chicago Cubs having interest in big-name starting pitchers only to bow out when things get uncomfortable? Top free agent relievers getting too expensive for Jed Hoyer's taste? Refusing to defer money?

Seriously, we've heard all of this before - and it doesn't stop there. All last offseason, the Cubs were on the periphery of the Alex Bregman sweepstakes. They made an offer, but came up short in their bid to add the longtime Houston Astros cornerstone. And, after opting out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox after just one year, the Cubs are, once again, eyeing Bregman.

Is this the winter the Cubs finally land Alex Bregman in free agency?

The difference this year is it feels like this could be the winter Chicago finally pulls off their big move. They sat down with slugger Pete Alonso at the Winter Meetings this week before he signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, so they're definitely swimming in the deep end of the pool.

Now, will they actually land one of the big fish? Only time will tell. But it makes sense that Hoyer could use his financial capital to add someone like Bregman, who could help offset the loss of Kyle Tucker - which also allows him to avoid doling out a lucrative free-agent contract for a front-end starting pitcher.

Instead, the Cubs could lean into their top-heavy farm system and some fringe big-league complimentary pieces like Ben Brown to put together a trade package for someone like Edward Cabrera or MacKenzie Gore, both of whom come with multiple remaining years of team control and could help bolster the rotation.

If not Bregman, Chicago could fall back to someone like Eugenio Suarez - a noted Cubs killer in his career - to add major power to the order. The point remains the same, though. It's not an either/or scenario for the Cubs. Between their impressive long-term financial flexibility (they have just two players on guaranteed deals past this season) and prospects like Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros and others, they can address multiple key areas of need this winter without sacrificing their long-term ability to remain competitive.