The Chicago Cubs, who failed in their pursuit of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman a year ago, have agreed with the three-time All-Star on a five-year, $175 million contract, according to multiple media reports on Saturday night.
Bregman played in 2025 for the Boston Red Sox, who signed the former Houston Astros player to a three-year, $120 million deal with two opt-outs. Bregman opted out of his contract after one season, passing on his $40 million player options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons in trying to land a lucrative, long-term contract.
The Cubs, according to reports, offered a club-record $35 million a year, with no opt-outs and a full no-trade clause. Bregman turns 32 on March 30.
The Astros had reportedly offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million deal after the 2024 season to keep him in Houston, which had selected him second overall in the 2015 MLB Draft out of LSU and where he made his major league debut in 2016.
Bregman batted .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 114 games in his lone season with Boston. He had a .360 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage for the season, in which he started strongly before a quad injury sidelined him from May 24 to July 11.
For his career, which includes his first nine seasons with the Astros, Bregman is batting .272 with 209 homers, 293 doubles and 725 RBIs in 1,225 regular-season games.
An All-Star in 2018, 2019 and last season, and the 2024 American League Gold Glove winner at third base, Bregman went to four World Series with the Astros and won in 2017 and 2022.
