According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown implied that the team is no longer in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, possibly clearing a path for the Chicago Cubs to land the third baseman.
During his address at the team's annual media luncheon, Dana Brown twice spoke about Alex Bregman in the past tense, saying once that the team "lost Bregman."
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 4, 2025
When asked to clarify his comments, Brown reportedly said he and owner Jim Crane haven't spoken to Bregman's agent, Scott Boras, recently but that internally they are still open to the idea since the third baseman is still available.
If the Astros are truly out of the running, a major player is off the board for the two-time all-star as
rumors rampantly flying around the internet. Bregman has spent his entire Major League career in Houston and was a major part of their two World Series championships in 2017 and 2022. But the Astros are not as keen on extending long-term contracts as you'd think, and they have already addressed their hole at third base by trading for Isaac Paredes in December.
If the Cubs are able to land Bregman because of that trade, it would be an unbelievable offseason that would see three of Houston's best players make their way to the North Side. President Jed Hoyer has already acquired superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker in the aforementioned Paredes deal, as well as high-leverage reliever Ryan Pressly.
Are the Cubs now the favorite to land Bregman?
The Cubs are likely trying to land Bregman on a shorter-term deal similar to Cody Bellinger's contract with Chicago. Think high average annual value ($25-32 million range), with 3-4 years of team control, and opt-outs after every year. For a guy heading into his age 31 season, it would be hard to sign on to that type of deal especially when there are reportedly offers with more guaranteed years on the table from Detroit and Toronto. But other reports suggest teams like the Cubs and Red Sox could be sweetening their deals with Spring Training rapidly approaching next week.
Sources suggest that interested teams (including Red Sox) are coming in with the high AAV/fewer years approach with Bregman. Toronto might be outlier with more years. https://t.co/sgEJ8Ipvdy
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) February 4, 2025
The Cubs are heading to Arizona earlier than anyone this year, with pitchers and catchers set to report on Sunday. The team has an open spot at third base for Bregman to claim and a considerably weak NL Central Division that the Cubs are projected to win by 10 games according to Pecota. Adding Bregman to the fold will only raise the floor of the 2025 Cubs even further, giving them their best chance to make the playoffs in years.
And that's exactly what Bregman wants. By all accounts, this winter, he wants to be on a team that is in win-now mode and the Cubs are in a better position to win than any of his other suitors. The Red Sox are in the same division as the New York Yankees, who are coming off winning the American League Pennant, and powerhouse contenders in the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. Not to mention, Bregman may have to play second base if he decides on Boston.
Another report from 670 The Score's Matt Spiegel suggests Bregman is not interested in signing with the Blue Jays or Tigers, driving the Cubs rumors even further toward reality. If Bregman doesn't think the Red Sox are ready to seriously take on their powerhouse division, the Cubs may just luck their way into signing the slugger and plugging their hole at third base.