Alex Bregman has a new number and bigger mission with the Cubs
The Cubs didn’t just sign a star—they landed a proven leader chasing a third championship.
Alex Bregman is officially moving on from the No. 2 that he wore his entire big league career to the No. 3 with the Cubs.
So why did Bregman change his uniform number upon joining the Cubs?
“I wore No. 3 because I want a third championship,” Bregman said in his introductory press conference in Chicago this week.
Bregman initially wore No. 2 after he was drafted second behind shortstop Dansby Swanson, who ironically is now his teammate in the Windy City.
The impact that Bregman will hopefully have on the Cubs will go deeper than the number he’ll wear on the back of his jersey. Chicago is paying for something bigger: a proven winner and leader.
The Cubs signed the veteran third baseman to a five-year, $175 million deal. His new contract comes with $70 million in deferred money. He will take over at third and anchor down the left side of the infield, with Swanson having signed a seven-year, $177 million deal prior to the 2023 season.
Bregman heads to Wrigley as a three-time All-Star and replaces Kyle Tucker in the Cubs lineup. Tucker signed a massive, four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers this week. Bregman and Tucker are two different types of players at this point in their careers. While they may trade off different offensive numbers, the Cubs gain a proven clubhouse leader with extensive playoff experience, a valuable addition for a Chicago team in contention.
“The two most important things to me are my family and winning baseball games,” Bregman said. “From the beginning of the offseason, the Cubs expressed to me that they wanted me to be here, and they were really committed to that and committed to my family.
“I cannot wait to get to work with all the guys on the team in that clubhouse. Hopefully, we win a lot of baseball games and build something really special for a long time together.”
The Cubs were hot after Bregman last offseason before he signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox. His deal at the time included opt-outs after each of the first two seasons, resulting in him opting out of his contract this winter and ultimately signing with the Cubs.
The announcement of Bregman signing with the Cubs came during the Bears and Packers Wild Card game last Saturday. Bregman called it a “normal Saturday” until about an hour before the game started.
“We had the game on,” Bregman said with a laugh, “and I said, ‘This could go one of two ways. I hope they come back and win.’”
Since the announcement of the Bregman deal, the Bears defeated the Packers and will play this weekend in the Divisional Round against the Rams. Bregman has made his rounds in the city, going to a Blackhawks and Bulls game. In a short period of time, Bregman and his family quickly immerse themselves in the fabric of Chicago.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has been enamored with Bregman since his collegiate years. Since he signed Bregman this week, Hoyer is already getting a front-row look at his leadership skills off the field. Bregman requested reports on Chicago’s players so he can be looped in on what they are working on. He requested a meeting with the Cubs’ player development staff in Arizona to discuss hitting philosophy, so Bregman knows he is focused on the right things in conversations with teammates and minor leaguers.
“In four or five days he’s been a Cub,” Hoyer said. “There’s already been countless examples of things he’s been working on that no one’s asked him to do. I think that’s how he thinks about his role. It’s not just getting his workouts in. It’s about making sure he’s integrated with the entire team.”
Bregman has spent parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues (nine with the Astros and one with the Red Sox). He has 209 career homers, 293 doubles, 725 RBIs, an .846 OPS, and four seasons during which he posted more walks than strikeouts.
During his brief tenure in Boston, his leadership qualities positively impacted all his teammates, including the younger ones. Throughout the season, his leadership qualities were evident as the Red Sox introduced Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer into the lineup. Boston also added pitchers Connelly early and Payton Tolle down the stretch.
As the offseason commenced, there was a widespread expectation that the Red Sox would reconcile with Bregman and secure his return on a long-term contract. As the months went on over the winter, other teams were involved in his services. From a Red Sox perspective, that approach to slow-playing his free agent market allowed the Cubs to quietly remain involved, waiting for the right time to pounce.
During his press conference in Chicago, Bregman spoke to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo but wouldn’t elaborate much on his contract negotiations with the Red Sox.
“Obviously, in free agency,” he said, “you talk to all the teams and figure out what they value.
“In free agency, you get to listen to the team’s needs. At the beginning of free agency, it was expressed to me how much (the Cubs) cared. The Cubs valued what I cared about. I’m looking forward to being here and winning baseball games.”
When he discussed the Cubs, his tone shifted.
“Literally, the first second of free agency really opened, it felt like we knew the Cubs wanted our family to be here,” Bregman said.
“We had a lot of conversations over the course of the first three months of the offseason. Numerous calls with Scott and Jed. In our Zoom, it was pretty evident they wanted me to be here.”
Boston offered less money to Bregman, reportedly making a five-year, $165 million offer that had heavy deferrals spread across decades. The Red Sox’ refusal to add a no-trade clause resulted in him walking away from Boston and sprinting towards Chicago.
After being in Boston only a few months, Bregman saw the front office trade the club’s best player, Rafael Devers, to the Giants. That front-row seat to that trade potentially gave the infielder pause, knowing he wanted security for his family and not wanting to uproot them anymore during his playing career.
“Being able to be in a place that offered stability and a place that showed how much they cared about me is super important to me and my family,” Bregman said. “I have a young family, and we can’t wait to raise our kids here in Chicago.”
Bregman acknowledged that he didn’t anticipate signing with the Cubs last Saturday, but he was aware of their serious interest from the start of free agency.
“I thought it was trending that way, probably from the beginning of the offseason,” he said. “They expressed right away that they wanted me, and they made it extremely clear that they valued what I offered.”
“It was definitely a little bit different,” he said of the whole process. ”I felt like everything was coming together a lot quicker and coming quicker together.
With Bregman officially in the fold in Chicago, he closes another chapter of his baseball career like he did with Houston. No one will know how Father Time will treat Bregman’s body over the next five years. For the Cubs, they acquired a proven winner, a leader in the clubhouse who’ll be a difference maker on and off the field. For the Red Sox, they’re still searching for answers in free agency and on the trade market.