MLB Rumors: Alex Bregman Linked to Cubs amid Red Sox, Tigers Buzz in Free Agency

As Alex Bregman continues to wait for a contract in free agency, the Chicago Cubs could be an option for the two-time All-Star if the interest from the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers doesn't lead to a deal.

Per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs recently had "casual conversations with Bregman's agent, Scott Boras."

Levine did note the Cubs aren't interested in a long-term deal for Bregman, but they would be willing to talk if he wanted to think about a short-term offer.

The Tigers feel like a natural fit for Bregman given their need for more hitting after making the playoffs last season, combined with his already-established relationship with manager A.J. Hinch from their time together with the Houston Astros.

Boston is trying to figure out what to do about third base going into the 2025 season. Rafael Devers has spent the majority of his career at the position, but he's been the worst defensive third baseman by defensive runs saved in MLB since his rookie year in 2017.

Recently, USA Today's Bob Nightengale cited the Toronto Blue Jays as having the "strongest interest" in Bregman.

Nightengale also noted Bregman was receiving interest from multiple clubs, but his price tag will likely end up lower than the $200 million he was seeking when the offseason started.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on the Foul Territory podcast (starts at 4:55 mark), the Red Sox are operating with the approach they don't think Bregman wants to play in Toronto and the Tigers won't make an aggressive offer to sign him.

Levine suggested the Cubs could look to offer Bregman a deal similar to their pact with Cody Bellinger when he signed a three-year, $80 million contract last offseason with player opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.

Bregman would almost certainly require a higher average annual salary than Bellinger did, but it's getting to the point in the offseason when the market might require him to settle for a short-term contract.

The first two teams to report for spring training are the Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 9 and 11, respectively. The remaining teams will open camp on Feb. 12 or 13.

After trading Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason as part of the Kyle Tucker deal, the Cubs could go into 2025 with top prospect Matt Shaw as their starting third baseman.

If the Cubs can convince Bregman to take a short-term deal that might allow him to test free agency again next offseason, they could try to plug in Shaw at second base and attempt to move Nico Hoerner in a trade for pitching help.

Given where the market appears to be at for Bregman, there's no reason for the Cubs not to at least explore options for him with the NL Central looking wide open in 2025.