Chicago Cubs Could Be Closing In On Lucrative Deal For Superstar Free Agent

The Chicago Cubs surprised many when headlines emerged earlier this offseason of their interest in the top available free agent.

With Houston Astros superstar third baseman Alex Bregman hitting the open market and the Cubs in need of someone to man the hot corner following sending Isaac Paredes out of town in the Kyle Tucker trade, on paper it made sense why Chicago would at least check in.

One of the best in the game is available at a thin position, logic points to interest being there. But signing Bregman would run contrary to the way Jed Hoyer has built the team with the slugger seemingly looking for a long-term deal.

Things made more sense when it was revealed the Cubs intrigue hinged on Bregman being willing to accept the kind of short-term deal with opt outs they signed Cody Bellinger on before trading him to the New York Yankees earlier this winter.

Most reporting in the weeks since Chicago being involved initially broke have still indicated the two-time All-Star is not interested in accepting a short-term deal, but the later this thing goes, the better the chances are for the Cubs to swoop in.

It's now February 11 and Bregman still remains unsigned. Pitchers and catchers are reporting this week and teams are less than two weeks away from starting spring training games. Generally, the kind of lucrative, long-term contract which Bregman is seeking doesn't get handed out this late.

The initial wave of huge money deals has passed, and while Bregman seems to have long-term offers on the table - likely from the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays - he hasn't signed them, likely because he would prefer to play elsewhere.

If that elsewhere is Chicago, every passing day with Bregman remaining unsigned is good news for the Cubs' hopes.

Bringing in a dynamic duo within the same offseason from arguably the most successful franchise in baseball over the last decade has the potential to push Chicago from a team who has missed five of the last six postseasons right back into the category of championship contender.

The Cubs have other options at third base including staying internal with top prospect Matt Shaw, but nobody is going to bring the same immediate impact Bregman brings.

A short-term deal which allows Chicago to go all in on 2025 and have a chance to chase a championship and figure out the rest later could be a best case scenario for all sides involved.

The Cubs have a young, ascending core which is now being supplemented by veteran talent, and Bregman would just be the cherry on top.

At this point, it seems very possible if not likely that Chicago is extremely close to making the dream an actual reality.

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