Rumors: Cubs linked to several veterans including Alex Bregman |
SHHHHHH! Can you hear those crickets? That is all that you are getting from the highly anticipated Winter Meetings, as things are abnormally quiet right now. Quiet starts to the winter meetings are pretty standard, but to be this quiet heading into Day 2 is even worse than the impending COVID-19 offseason.
Everyone is waiting for Shohei Otani to sign; rightfully so, the dominos will fall immediately after that. However, other fish in the sea are not named Otani, and the Cubs could use some of those fish as the longer they wait for an Otani answer, the bigger the risk of losing some of those other options. Looking at the Cubs roster, third base remains an area of concern as the Cubs have tried different options to address that position. Patrick Wisdom, Jeimer Candelario, and Nick Madrigal all took their cracks at third last season, but apart from Madrigal, who has no power, they are short-term pieces at third. Christopher Morel remains a name floating around, but he is even having some issues right now, which could send this team into the regular season with another platoon option. Matt Chapman has been linked to the Cubs all offseason as has Justin Turner as potential 3B options. Turner is a great short-term option, given what he can do at the plate, but do you trust a 40-year-old to play either one of the corner spots? Chapman has the gold glove defense you look for at third, but his offensive numbers are on the decline, and coming off the worst season he has had, you have to wonder if that is a sign of things to come. Looking at the names listed above, the Cubs don't have many options, and the ones they do have are limited. That is where the trade market comes in, as the Cubs could trade for someone to play the hot corner. Given all the ongoing talks with the Guardians about several pitchers, Jose Ramirez could be discussed, but that is a name the Guardians don't seem too keen on moving. However, Alex Bregman could be a name to keep an eye on, and although it is unlikely he will be moved, the Houston Astros have taken calls on Bregman as he is looking for a massive payday that Houston may not give him. Bregman has been one of the best hitters in the Astros lineup since coming into the majors and one of the more consistent players overall. His numbers will make any lineup that much better, and he can be had at a reasonable price for this season. After this season is where the hang-up comes in as Bregman is not only looking for a massive payday like Pete Alonso and Juan Soto, but it doesn't appear like the Astros have a desire to make him their priority, which could leave the door open for a team like the Cubs to pounce on. When you look at the Cubs infield, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner hold down the middle, but the corner spots need additions. Even with the platoon role the Cubs tried to go with last season, Madrigal posted a putrid .663 OPS, while Wisdom strikes out far too much. Do the Cubs want to risk heading into 2024 with one or both as their primary 3B options? While that does appear to be what is happening right now, it won't put this team over the hump, as they need to get better at 3B. Although not as good of a fielder as Madrigal, Bregman can more than hold his own at the hot corner and make all of the plays you need him to make. Similar in Power to what Wisdom can offer, Bregman is coming off a 25-homer season where he hit .262 and drove in 98. He is a .274 hitter for his career and averages around 27 homers and 90 RBIs per season. He does that while taking a fair amount of walks and striking out a lot, but his strikeout rate is much lower than Wisdom.
Any time you are building for the future, you want to fill your roster out with young guys you can count on long-term. Bregman is still only 29 years old, but with him approaching age 30, the best days will end sooner rather than later. Still, if the price is right, adding him as a one-year rental would be a great idea and an instant upgrade for this lineup. You can also extend him beyond this season, which helps you retool the roster from there.
