Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs have reportedly reached an agreement on a five-year, $175 million contract. The deal does not include any opt-out clauses, though Bregman will have a full no-trade provision. It also reportedly features $70 million in deferred money, but without full details available, it remains unclear whether the deferrals will significantly impact the deal’s $35 million average annual value.
Bregman entered free agency following the 2024 season after spending his entire career with the Houston Astros. Selected second overall out of LSU in the 2015 MLB Draft, he quickly established himself as one of baseball’s premier players. From 2018 to 2019, Bregman posted a combined 16.5 bWAR and a 157 OPS+ during his second and third full seasons. While he hasn’t quite matched that elite level since, he has remained a consistently productive, All-Star–caliber third baseman.
After Bregman’s free-agent market failed to materialize as expected following a 2024 season in which his on-base percentage fell roughly 50 points below his career average, he agreed to a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox that included opt-outs after each season. That signing set off a chain reaction in Boston, ultimately leading to the Red Sox trading incumbent third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants early in the 2025 season.
Despite missing about six weeks with a quad strain, Bregman delivered a strong 2025 campaign, posting a .273/.360/.462 slash line with a 128 OPS+ across 114 games. His production played a key role in helping Boston win 89 games and reach the postseason for the first time since 2021, and only the second time since their 2018 championship.
Bregman’s contract with Boston carried a nominal value of $40 million per year, though heavy deferrals lowered its effective annual value to roughly $32 million. After the season, Bregman exercised his opt-out and returned to free agency, this time without draft-pick compensation attached, as he had already been tendered a qualifying offer by Houston following the 2024 season and was ineligible to receive one again.
The Red Sox were reportedly eager to bring Bregman back, valuing both his leadership in the clubhouse and his production on the field. Reports suggest Boston’s strongest offer was a five-year, $165 million deal that included substantial deferrals.
At first glance, the Cubs appeared to be an unexpected landing spot for Bregman, as they are returning all four of their regular infielders, each of whom posted at least 3 bWAR during the 2025 season. Chicago seems poised to deploy Matt Shaw—who handled most of the third-base duties last year—in a more flexible, utility role.
With Bregman’s arrival, the Cubs will now feature the top two selections from the 2015 MLB Draft in their infield, as Dansby Swanson, the first overall pick that year, continues to anchor shortstop. The organization also boasts Ian Happ, the ninth overall pick in 2015, in the outfield, while Kyle Tucker, taken fifth overall in the same draft, patrolled right field last season before entering free agency.
