Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs were mostly quiet for the early portion of the MLB offseason. They made some depth additions, but had yet to take a big swing.
Finally, that big swing came earlier this week when the Cubs pulled off a splash trade with the Miami Marlins to acquire young starting pitcher Edward Cabrera. Now, the question becomes, will Chicago double down and try to sign a big bat in free agency?
Plenty of names have been connected to the Cubs this offseason. Most recently, both Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette have been viewed as Chicago’s top options.
Keeping that in mind, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal spoke out with an update. He believes that the Cubs are focused on one specific free agent at this point in time.
As shared by 670 The Score on January 10, Rosenthal believes that the Cubs’ top target is Bregman.
Chicago Cubs Pursuing Alex Bregman Is Nothing New
Last offseason, Chicago tried to sign Bregman as well. After he parted ways with the Houston Astros, there were quite a few teams who had interest in him.
While the Cubs were one of the finalists in the sweepstakes to sign him, the Boston Red Sox ended up being willing to pay more than Chicago. That led to him signing with the Red Sox. Now, the team has a second chance to get its target.
Hoyer and the Cubs need more help offensively. Kyle Tucker is a free agent and is not expected to re-sign with Chicago. That would leave a major hole in the lineup.
Bregman may not have quite as prolific of a bat as Tucker, but he would be a big upgrade at third base over Matt Shaw at the plate.
During the 2025 MLB season with Boston, Bregman played in 114 games. He hit 18 home runs, drove in 62 RBI, and produced a slash line of .273/.360/.462. Those numbers would be helpful for the Cubs as they look to put together a World Series contender.
The Cubs Are Not Alone Pursuing Bregman
Even though Chicago has continually been linked as a potential fit for Bregman this offseason, there are plenty of other suitors around the league who are interested in signing him as well.
Among those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays. A couple of those teams may be out of the race already, but there are other options.
In recent years, Hoyer and the Cubs’ front office has shown hesitation in paying out big money. To get Bregman, Chicago will need to alter that strategy.
Only time will tell how badly the Cubs want to sign Bregman. If they decide to go all-in, there is nothing holding them back from getting a deal done. However, there is a chance that talks will go the same way as they did last season, with Chicago being unwilling to pay enough to seal the deal.
Expect to hear more about Bregman and the Cubs in the near future. All fans can do now is to wait and hope that Hoyer decides to get aggressive.
Report: Cubs Focused on One Top Target in MLB Free Agency