Following the trade with the Houston Astros to land Kyle Tucker, the Chicago Cubs sat on their hands watching help like Alex Bregman sign a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox worth $120 million. Bregman would have been a perfect third baseman to pair with Tucker for a postseason run.
Rookie third baseman Matt Shaw has been inconsistent. He’s batting .215/.293/.302 with an OPS of .596 with two home runs and 10 RBI. He has just three hits in 21 at-bats in his last seven games.
Chicago already sent him down to Triple-A earlier in the season for hitting troubles. President Jed Hoyer would be smart to look for help at third base before the trade deadline on July 31.
With the Red Sox seven games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East, Boston might be willing to part with Bregman in the next month.
Tom Ricketts needs to be convinced of Alex Bregman’s value
During an episode of ESPN’s “Kap & J.Hood” on Friday, Cubs beat reporter Jesse Rogers said he believed Hoyer would go all-in for a trade on Bregman, but owner Tom Ricketts stands in the way of getting a big fish like Bregman to Chicago.
“Oh, I think Jed would make that deal in a heartbeat, yeah. Some layers to it,” Rogers said. Obviously, you’ve got to convince Tom, who said no to it four months ago, right? I do think, and he has a no-trade clause, I do think he’d be willing to waive it. You might have to sweeten the pot a little bit…
“Even if you think he might opt out, you don’t know for sure, so you’re adding 40 million each in the next two years. Yeah, I think Jed would be interested. I think Jed’s going to go for it. So I think he’s going to kick the tires and everybody that’s available, that’s decent. And Bregman would qualify if he’s available.”
The Chicago Cubs could use Bregman’s bat
Bregman, 31, is batting .299/.385/.553 with an OPS of .938, 11 home runs and 35 RBI.
Trading for Bregman at the deadline would help the offense, but it would also reflect poorly on the Cubs’ leadership for not signing him in free agency and having to cough up prospects to bring the expensive asset to Wrigley Field.
With a 48-33 record and a three-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central, Hoyer wants to do everything he can to assure the organization reaches the postseason and makes a run at the World Series.
The paradox for Hoyer is that the person who will decide whether or not he gets a contract extension this fall is the same person who signs his checks, and that might keep talent like Bregman away from Chicago at the deadline.
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