Alex Bregman is packing his bags for the Windy City.
The superstar third baseman has signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Bregman is coming off a strong lone season with the Boston Red Sox, during which he hit .273 with an .821 OPS, 18 home runs, and 62 RBIs across 114 games.
He opted out of his three-year, $120 deal after getting dispatched by the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series.
Bregman is a Silver Slugging, Gold Gloving three-time All-Star, who captured a pair of World Series titles with the Houston Astros. His best season came in 2019, when he slugged 41 homers and led the MLB with an 8.9 bWAR.
The Cubs, coming off a loss in the National League Division Series to the Milwaukee Brewers, entered free agency looking to fill a Kyle Tucker-sized hole in their lineup. In Bregman, Chicago receives not only a right-handed power bat and elite corner infielder — but a veteran leader with championship experience. In other words, a complete no-brainer.
Chicago has been surprisingly active this offseason, recently acquiring right-handed flamethrower Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins.
As it stands, the Cubs hold the MLB’s fifth-highest odds of winning the World Series on DraftKings Sportsbook (+1500).
While there’s still work to do with this offense, the Cubs are fielding an awfully intriguing roster with plenty of time to go before Spring Training.
