01/15/26 04:44:00
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01/15 16:42 CST Alex Bregman looking to win a World Series with the Chicago Cubs
Alex Bregman looking to win a World Series with the Chicago Cubs
By JAY COHEN
AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO (AP) --- Alex Bregman was clear and concise. His biggest priorities are
his family and winning baseball games.
Bregman's wife, Reagan, and sons, Knox and Bennett, watched from the front row
on Thursday as he detailed his reasons for signing with the Chicago Cubs in
free agency. He displayed his other priority on the back of his new pinstriped
jersey.
"I wore No. 3 because I wanted a third championship," Bregman said.
That obsession with winning, and all the ways it affects the players around
him, was a major reason why the Cubs went out of their comfort zone to reel in
the All-Star third baseman with a $175 million, five-year contract.
The deal includes a no-trade provision and $70 million in deferred payments.
The Cubs have deferred money before --- namely in contracts for outfielder
Jason Heyward and pitcher Jon Lester that helped the team win the 2016 World
Series --- but nothing like the number they went to for Bregman.
That's how much they wanted him.
"When you do make a significant commitment to a player, you want to make sure
that the person and the player are both at the highest level, and with Alex, we
know that," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said.
Hoyer has been following Bregman's career from afar for more than a decade,
long before the infielder was selected by Houston with the No. 2 pick in the
2015 amateur draft --- one spot behind current Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, played his first nine seasons with the Astros,
winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 --- although the first of those
was during a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty
of scorn.
He also was pursued by Chicago before he signed a $120 million, three-year
contract with Boston last February, a deal that included opt-outs after each of
the first two seasons.
"You sort of heard stories about his level of confidence," Hoyer said.
When Bregman returned to free agency after batting .273 with 18 homers and 62
RBIs in his only season with the Red Sox, the Cubs went after him again. Their
consistent pursuit meant something to Bregman, and their previous conversations
helped lay the groundwork for their new partnership.
"From the beginning of the offseason, the Cubs expressed to me that they wanted
me to be here, and they were committed to that, committed to my family,"
Bregman said. "Yeah, I cannot wait to get to work with all the guys on the team
in that clubhouse and hopefully win a lot of baseball games and build something
really special for a long time to come."
He isn't wasting any time, either. Shortly after the deal was completed,
Bregman asked for reports on his new teammates and a meeting with the
organization's minor league staff. He wanted to make sure he was talking about
the right things with other players.
He has connected with several of his new teammates already, including Swanson,
pitcher Jameson Taillon and outfielders Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong. He'll
have an opportunity to speak with more players at the team's annual fan
convention this weekend.
"It's been fun," Bregman said. "I feel like you can sense the excitement here
not only from the Cubs fans, but also the players. They're very excited as
well, and that's good."
Bregman went to Hoyer's office on Wednesday to make sure he was OK with him
playing for the United States in the World Baseball Classic. Hoyer said he
responded positively, and Bregman assured him he will visit Chicago's spring
training complex in the mornings to be around his new team.
"There's already been countless examples of things he's working on that no
one's asked him to do," Hoyer said. "I think that's how he thinks about his
role. It's not just about getting his workouts in. It's about making sure he's
integrated with the entire team."
Bregman joins a Chicago team that won 92 games last season and reached the
playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Cubs were eliminated by Milwaukee
in a five-game Division Series.
Matt Shaw was the team's regular third baseman last year, with Swanson at
shortstop, Nico Hoerner at second and Michael Busch at first. Shaw also can
play second, but Hoyer sounded as if he planned to keep his group of infielders
for insurance.
Bregman was limited to 114 games last year because of a quadriceps injury. The
durable Swanson played in 159 games during the regular season, but he turns 32
in February. Hoerner had right flexor tendon surgery in October 2024.
The 24-year-old Shaw could move into a super-utility role to help keep everyone
healthy and fresh, including spending time in the outfield.
"Matt Shaw's a really good athlete," Hoyer said. "He hadn't played much third
and was a Gold Glove finalist last year. I have no questions about his defense
at any position or his ability to learn something really quickly."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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