01/10/26 10:33:00
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01/10 22:32 CST All-Star 3B Alex Bregman agrees to a $175 million, 5-year
contract with the Cubs, AP sources say
All-Star 3B Alex Bregman agrees to a $175 million, 5-year contract with the
Cubs, AP sources say
By JAY COHEN
AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO (AP) --- All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a $175
million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to two people
familiar with the deal.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday night on condition of
anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. The contract includes a
no-trade provision allowing Bregman to block deals without his consent.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, was back on the market for a second straight
offseason. He was pursued by the Cubs before he signed a $120 million,
three-year contract with Boston last February, with opt-outs after each of the
first two seasons.
He decided to test free agency again after hitting .273 for the Red Sox with 18
homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games, his fewest since 2021. Bregman missed all of
June with a quadriceps injury.
Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World
Series titles in 2017 and 2022 --- although the first of those yielded a
sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.
When the Gold Glove winner joined the Red Sox, they already had All-Star Rafael
Devers at third base. Boston asked Devers to move to DH, and the team's
relationship with the slugger soured to the point that Devers was traded to San
Francisco in June.
Boston ended up leading the major leagues in errors, but the Red Sox did return
to the postseason for the first time in four years. Bregman's OPS of .822 was
his best since 2019, and he earned All-Star honors for a third time.
Chicago finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. The
Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before getting
eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game Division Series.
The Cubs used Matt Shaw at third base last season, and the rookie played
stellar defense while batting .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126
games. He could move into a super-utility role with Bregman's arrival.
The addition of Bregman was the second major move by the Cubs in a matter of
days. They acquired right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami
Marlins on Wednesday.
ESPN was the first to report Bregman's agreement with the Cubs.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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