Chicago Cubs Still Named a Contender to Sign Star Free Agent Infielder

No one knows what to expect from the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

Some are expecting Jed Hoyer to get aggressive as he looks to help lead the team back to contention.

Others are expecting more of the same that the Cubs have shown over the last few years.

Fans are hoping to see Chicago make some moves since they're tired of the Cubs underperforming and missing the postseason. No one could blame the fan base for getting a bit restless.

Over the last few weeks, Chicago has been connected to some big names as possible MLB free agency targets, and surprisingly, a lot of them have been starting pitchers.

If there is one position group the Cubs should feel confident about, it's their rotation.

Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad are a pretty solid first four, however, adding another elite pitcher would give them arguably the best rotation in baseball.

To most, Chicago's pressing needs come in the bullpen and to have more consistent offensive production.

Looking specifically at the offensive side of things, the Cubs could find the impact bat they need in free agency since there are quite a few options available this offseason.

David Brown of DeadSpin has named one player Chicago is still in the running to land.

That player is none other than star infielder Alex Bregman.

He has projected that the star third baseman will end up landing with the Detroit Tigers on a seven-year, $176 million contract, but he does view the Cubs as a contender to sign him.

During the 2024 MLB season with the Houston Astros, Bregman ended up playing in 145 games. He hit 26 home runs to go along with 75 RBI with a slash line of .260/.315/.453. Those numbers would be a nice boost for Chicago.

Obviously, the question would be, where would Bregman fit?

The Cubs made the trade to acquire third baseman Isaac Paredes last year, so that could lead to them trading Nico Hoerner and moving Bregman to second base.

Another option could simply be to shift Seiya Suzuku to the outfield full-time and putting either Bregman or Paredes in the designated hitter role.

That being said, there are ways to figure out the logistics of the move if they choose to make it.

Should Hoyer and the front office view Bregman as the piece that can make the offensive impact they need, there should be no worries about where to play him.

Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors about Chicago moving forward.

There is a chance they will look to make a splash, but at this point in time there are no answers to those questions.