The Chicago Cubs have officially kicked off their 2026 campaign, as they are opening the new year with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. There are quite a few reasons for excitement in Chicago as the new season gets underway, but the biggest of the bunch may just be the arrival of All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman.
After a bounce-back year with the Boston Red Sox, Bregman hit the open market this offseason and received a massive five-year, $175 million contract from the Cubs. Expectations are high for Bregman, but it sounds like nobody has higher hopes for what his new squad can accomplish in 2026 than the man himself.
Alex Bregman Sends Warning to Rest of MLB After Joining Cubs
After spending the first nine years of his career with the Houston Astros, Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox in free agency. Bregman quickly became a key piece of the team’s lineup, and he ended up finishing the year with a .273 batting average, 18 home runs, and 62 RBIs. That production earned Bregman the third All-Star selection of his career.
Bregman had a player option in his contract with Boston that allowed him to opt out and test the open market for the second straight offseason, which is exactly what he did. Rather than re-sign with the Sox, which is what many folks expected would eventually happen, Bregman received a better offer from the Cubs and decided to take it, meaning he will man the hot corner for Chicago for the foreseeable future.
There’s no doubt that money talks, but that’s not exactly the only reason Bregman decided to sign with the Cubs. In an article he penned for The Players’ Tribune, Bregman gushed over the level of talent Chicago possesses, and in the process, it’s clear he has high hopes for what this group will be able to accomplish in 2026.
“This year’s team, I mean … we’re absolutely ready to bring a ton of joy to Cubs fans,” Bregman wrote. “Offensively, up and down our lineup, one through nine is a tough at-bat. Every single guy can throw a great at-bat at you. And when a team like that puts together quality at-bat after quality at-bat, it really wears a pitcher down. Then, on the defensive side of the ball, I think we’ve got one of the best defensive groups, if not the best group, in all of baseball.”
Cubs’ 2026 Campaign Off to a Rocky Start
GettyAlex Bregman has high hopes for the Cubs in 2026
The Cubs are making a big investment in Bregman, with the hope being that he can play at a high level, not just in the 2026 campaign but for several years in the future. In his age-32 season, there’s obviously a level of risk associated with giving Bregman such a big deal, but Chicago believes it can win now, and shoring up third base was a big item on the front office’s offseason to-do list.
Game 1 of 162 is underway for the Cubs, but the early returns aren’t encouraging, as the team trails a less-talented Nationals squad 7-2 midway through the fourth inning. There’s still quite a bit of baseball left to play this season, though, and if Bregman can hit the ground running for Chicago, there’s reason to believe that this team could prevail in the National League Central division.
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