According to a recent report from Bruce LeVine of Audacy, the Chicago Cubs have had "casual discussions" with free agent Alex Bregman. Bregman, 30 years old, would be an excellent addition, but his price might be too high for the Cubs to be serious suitors.
"Recently, powerful agent Scott Boras, who represents Bregman, had casual discussions with the Cubs, who aren’t interested in a long-term contract. For Bregman, the framework of a potential deal with the Cubs could look like a three-year contract with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons."
If Bregman would be willing to take a short-term deal with decent AAV with Chicago, there's a path to landing him. However, even if it's a short-term deal, he could be looking at $25 to $30 million AAV, and that's more important than if he were to land a long-term contract for less money.
Still, there seems to be a level of interest in the third baseman, a good idnication that the Cubs are looking to add to their roster.
They've been linked to many infielders throughout the winter, including Ha-Seong Kim, who one could argue would be a better fit than Bregman due to him likely signing for much less.
Kim isn't the same caliber player as Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, but he's a very good player who could help Chicago in more ways than one.
In a recent prediction from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, he had Kim taking a four-year, $49 million deal, something the Cubs should be willing to pay if they're interested in adding an infielder.
"However, Kim's market is complicated by the fact that he is still recovering from labrum surgery and might miss the first month (or more) of the upcoming season."
Kim is coming off labrum surgery, and that's worrisome, but as a middle-infielder, he should be recovering well.
Even if he misses the first few weeks of the campaign, Chicago should have enough to stay afloat in a below-average National League Central.
His offensive numbers have hardly ever been impressive, posting an OPS+ above 105 just once in his four-season career.
However, Kim is an elite defender and does other little things, like stealing 38 bags in 2023. The right-handed hitter posted a 5.8 WAR in the 2023 campaign.
The interest in Bregman is significant and shows the Cubs remain in the market to improve. If that ends up with them landing Bregman or Kim, it should be viewed as a win.
