Levine: Alex Bregman Open to Short-Term Deals, Cubs Have Talked to Scott Boras About It

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

This seems based on Jeds comments at the press conference yesterday.  It's inaccurate. They're focused on players in camp now but that doesn't mean they're out on anyone.  Jed wouldn't comment about any remaining free agents and said the offseason in recent years has become longer.

I really wish Bregman would just decide so the Cubs can go about the rest of the off season. I honestly think they are a far better team not signing him but then using that money elsewhere. Maybe they do overpay for Cease. I don’t really like the idea but I have to admit they would be very good this year. Maybe Assad or Wicks and then Cassie and either Canario or a young minor leaguer gets it done. Then sign a few bench bats. If that doesn’t get Cease, maybe it gets King. Either would work. Or maybe Seattle offers Kirby or Gilbert up. But they would cost more because they come with control. If the Cubs did get a starter to break up Steele and Imanaga they would have a very nice rotation. Pen appears solid and their everyday line up is good. Clear favorite in the central and a real threat in the playoffs. Other pitchers what could work would be Ober, Ryan, or Lopez of the Twins. I think spending that money on a rotation piece is more valuable than spending it on Bregman, especially if they then have to trade Nico. 

[UK]

20 minutes ago, Bull said:

Let’s get some folks on the record before the contract comes out. 
 

1. what is a fair contract?

2. what numbers represent “overpay” (give me 3,4,5, and 6 year contracts)?

3. What will the contract ultimately be?

I think 4/120 mil is fair.

I think 6 years is an overpay.

I expect 5 years at 32 per from Toronto with player friendly options.

[Rcal10]

4 minutes ago, UK said:

I think 4/120 mil is fair.

I think 6 years is an overpay.

I expect 5 years at 32 per from Toronto with player friendly options.

I think that 5 year amount is very high, especially with player friendly options. And if he has anything close to that he would have signed. I think the best offer he got was the original from the Astros, 6/$156. 
I also think if he has something at that amount the Cubs would be out by now. And maybe they are.!

Edited February 10, 2025 by Rcal10

[Bertz]

29 minutes ago, Bull said:

Let’s get some folks on the record before the contract comes out. 
 

1. what is a fair contract?

2. what numbers represent “overpay” (give me 3,4,5, and 6 year contracts)?

3. What will the contract ultimately be?

1. Fair for a longer deal is probably in the neighborhood of the 6/$156 the Astros presumably offered, maybe a smidge higher.  Shorter is harder to say because the devil is in the details but comfortably north of what Bellinger got.  Either an extra $5Mish AAV or a 4th year.

2. It sounds like Boras wants an AAV that beats Rafael Devers $31.3M, AND wants 6-7 years.  I think you can justify either but not both.

3. My gut says he's a Cub and gets roughly the contract Trueblood laid out

[Rcal10]

17 minutes ago, Bertz said:

1. Fair for a longer deal is probably in the neighborhood of the 6/$156 the Astros presumably offered, maybe a smidge higher.  Shorter is harder to say because the devil is in the details but comfortably north of what Bellinger got.  Either an extra $5Mish AAV or a 4th year.

2. It sounds like Boras wants an AAV that beats Rafael Devers $31.3M, AND wants 6-7 years.  I think you can justify either but not both.

3. My gut says he's a Cub and gets roughly the contract Trueblood laid out

I must have missed it. What did Trueblood suggest?

 

[Dfan25]

A couple of Bregman related notes :

Buster Olney says Bregman will sign soon and likely to be with Tigers / Red Sox / Cubs 

 

Robert Murray is skeptical that Bregman will get a long term deal . Thinks final decision will be between  Red Sox / Cubs / Tigers .

[Jason Ross]

13 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

I must have missed it. What did Trueblood suggest?

 

The creative, opt out laden 4 year type of a deal.

[Rcal10]

28 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

The creative, opt out laden 4 year type of a deal.

Oh, ok. I didn’t miss that. I thought he had suggested a specific amount on a deal. I still don’t think the Cubs end up with him. Which is fine as long as they pivot and add talent elsewhere.!

[Bertz]

 

[17 Seconds]

my guess is that bregman would prefer to play here, but at least one other team has a better offer

[Derwood]

4 minutes ago, 17 Seconds said:

my guess is that bregman would prefer to play here, but at least one other team has a better offer

Probably. Fewer years but better situation in Chicago, more years but worse situation for mystery team

[Bertz]

Yeah it's admittedly just vibes but this all feels way too similar to the Bellinger stuff last year.

I kind of assume it's the Cubs right now on an opt-out heavy deal, and he's holding out hoping for someone to step up and give him the lengthy deal he really wants.  

I wonder what the drop-dead dates are.  Because Bellinger fit the Cubs roster *so* cleanly it was kind of whenever.  But there are more moving parts with Bregman so I wonder if the Cubs have a line in the sand somewhere in the next week or two.  Because the longer this goes the less likely I think they are to for instance deal Nico somewhere.

[Rcal10]

40 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Yeah it's admittedly just vibes but this all feels way too similar to the Bellinger stuff last year.

I kind of assume it's the Cubs right now on an opt-out heavy deal, and he's holding out hoping for someone to step up and give him the lengthy deal he really wants.  

I wonder what the drop-dead dates are.  Because Bellinger fit the Cubs roster *so* cleanly it was kind of whenever.  But there are more moving parts with Bregman so I wonder if the Cubs have a line in the sand somewhere in the next week or two.  Because the longer this goes the less likely I think they are to for instance deal Nico somewhere.

I have to think something happens by the end of this weekend. Teams are all reporting. Time to make a decision. 

[chibears55]

1 hour ago, 17 Seconds said:

my guess is that bregman would prefer to play here, but at least one other team has a better offer

Im guessing that too..

He'll likely make up.his mind when all players are due to report, but i can see him preferring the Cubs but hoping they'll up the years.

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, chibears55 said:

Im guessing that too..

He'll likely make up.his mind when all players are due to report, but i can see him preferring the Cubs but hoping they'll up the years.

I have to think both Bregman and Boras know the Cubs aren’t going to budge on years. So if he really wants the Cubs he may need to make it official soon. I think if he hasn’t committed it is because he does want another team to come up in years. 

[Jason Ross]

Buster Onley says it's between the Cubs, Tigers and Red Sox and a decision will happen "soon". If those are the finalists, I would guess he's coming here. 

• If he wanted to sign in Detroit, he probably would have by now. I'd guess they have the most guaranteed money on the table but have yet to meet the years or AAV in some way. They feel like they have to give him more or less exactly what he wants there or he won't sign. Just my read.
• Boston vs Chicago is a bit of a tossup because I'm guessing Breslow is going to the Hoyer school of "creative contract" here. But the Cubs have a more direct path to the playoffs and his buddies are here. 

[Post Count Padder]

18 minutes ago, 1908_Cubs said:

Buster Onley says it's between the Cubs, Tigers and Red Sox and a decision will happen "soon". If those are the finalists, I would guess he's coming here. 

• If he wanted to sign in Detroit, he probably would have by now. I'd guess they have the most guaranteed money on the table but have yet to meet the years or AAV in some way. They feel like they have to give him more or less exactly what he wants there or he won't sign. Just my read.
• Boston vs Chicago is a bit of a tossup because I'm guessing Breslow is going to the Hoyer school of "creative contract" here. But the Cubs have a more direct path to the playoffs and his buddies are here. 

The Red Sox being into a 3B is just so random to me without a trade in place. Devers is there. Casas is at 1B. Yoshida at DH. The OF is all accounted for. I guess they wanna move Casas or Yoshida but there haven't appeared to be any takers/interest. All I've heard is them trying to use Casas as a main trade piece and being hung up on.

[Rcal10]

3 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

The Red Sox being into a 3B is just so random to me without a trade in place. Devers is there. Casas is at 1B. Yoshida at DH. The OF is all accounted for. I guess they wanna move Casas or Yoshida but there haven't appeared to be any takers/interest. All I've heard is them trying to use Casas as a main trade piece and being hung up on.

They have talked all spring about getting Devers off of 3rd. Even if they traded for Arenado they would put Devers at 1st. They have also tried getting rid of Yoshida. It is no more random than the Cubs going after Bregman to then have to most likely move Nico. 

[Bertz]

29 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

The Red Sox being into a 3B is just so random to me without a trade in place. Devers is there. Casas is at 1B. Yoshida at DH. The OF is all accounted for. I guess they wanna move Casas or Yoshida but there haven't appeared to be any takers/interest. All I've heard is them trying to use Casas as a main trade piece and being hung up on.

Devers is pretty terrible at 3rd.  I wonder if for like player politics reasons they know they can only ask him to move off the position for a Gold Glover, and so there's some incentive to add a Bregman/Arenado rather than ask him in a year to move for one of the youths like Campbell?

[harmony]

Hours have passed since this obscure source reported that Alex Bregman and the Detroit Tigers have reached a contract agreement:

https://bsky.app/profile/alvingarcia.bsky.social/post/3lhwj5vnqk22h

The lack of confirming news renders the report unreliable (but interesting).

 

[Jason Ross]

17 minutes ago, harmony said:

Hours have passed since this obscure source reported that Alex Bregman and the Detroit Tigers have reached a contract agreement:

https://bsky.app/profile/alvingarcia.bsky.social/post/3lhwj5vnqk22h

The lack of confirming news renders the report unreliable (but interesting).

 

Very small follower count and no one reputable. I'd say it's nothing but your typical clout chaser.

[Bertz]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6130234/2025/02/11/cubs-alex-bregman-clubhouse-fit/

Again it's just vibes, but this really reads with a sense of inevitability.  Especially from someone like Mooney who is very much *not* a cheerleader for the team.

[ToolDRT]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6130234/2025/02/11/cubs-alex-bregman-clubhouse-fit/

Again it's just vibes, but this really reads with a sense of inevitability.  Especially from someone like Mooney who is very much *not* a cheerleader for the team.

What’s it say? I’m not paying 🤣

[Rcal10]

I think if it comes down to Boston and the Cubs and all things are equal he will choose Boston. He just has a better chance of putting up bigger numbers in Boston than he does at Wrigley. If he is signing a short term deal I would think he wants to go into next year with good numbers. Cubs can offer him playing with Pressley and Tucker, so that is an advantage for them. But IMO if he wants a bigger contract after this one, he will go to the Red Sox. 

[JD94]

2 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I think if it comes down to Boston and the Cubs and all things are equal he will choose Boston. He just has a better chance of putting up bigger numbers in Boston than he does at Wrigley. If he is signing a short term deal I would think he wants to go into next year with good numbers. Cubs can offer him playing with Pressley and Tucker, so that is an advantage for them. But IMO if he wants a bigger contract after this one, he will go to the Red Sox. 

I’m not so sure. Boston apparently has a deal lined up for Arenado. Nolan will likely be cheaper than Bregman (Colorado is still paying part of his contract). I could see Boston preferring that route whereas the Cubs will offer more AAV because Arenado is not an option for us (which is fine). 
 

I have a weird feeling Bregman chooses the Cubs tomorrow. Reports out of Houston saying they are out and Bregman will sign a short term deal with opt outs. It’s felt like he’s wanted to come here this whole time. Having Tucker and Pressly obviously helps and we should honestly win this division rather easily, especially with Bregman. Boston is likely, at best, the 3rd best team in their division and will be a borderline wild card team.