All-Star 3B Alex Bregman agrees to
a $175 million, 5-year contract with the Cubs, AP sources say
[January 12, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a
$175 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to
two people familiar with the deal.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday night on
condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical.
The contract includes a no-trade provision allowing Bregman to block
deals without his consent.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, was back on the market for a second
straight offseason. He also was pursued by the Cubs before he signed
a $120 million, three-year contract with Boston last February, with
opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
He decided to test free agency again after hitting .273 for the Red
Sox with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games, his fewest since 2021.
Bregman missed all of June with a quadriceps injury.
He earned $40 million in his one season with Boston, of which he
received $15 million last year. The Red Sox owe him $5 million in
January 2028 and $2 million each June from 2035-44.
Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros,
winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of
those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his
teammates plenty of scorn.
When the Gold Glove winner joined the Red Sox, they already had
All-Star Rafael Devers at third base. Boston asked Devers to move to
DH, and the team’s relationship with the slugger soured to the point
that Devers was traded to San Francisco in June.
Boston ended up leading the major leagues in errors, but the Red Sox
did return to the postseason for the first time in four years.
Bregman’s OPS of .822 was his best since 2019, and he earned
All-Star honors for a third time.
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Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman fields a groundout hit by
Baltimore Orioles' Jordan Westburg during the first inning of a
baseball game at Fenway Park, on Aug. 18, 2025, in Boston. (AP
Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
Chicago finished second in the NL Central last year
with a 92-70 record. The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first
time since 2020 before getting eliminated by Milwaukee in a
five-game Division Series.
The Cubs used Matt Shaw at third base last season, and the rookie
played stellar defense while batting .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs
and 17 steals in 126 games. Shaw also can play second base, but Nico
Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove winner at the position.
There could be another trade on the horizon to clear up the team's
infield situation, or Shaw could move into a super-utility role with
Bregman’s arrival.
The addition of Bregman was the second major move by the Cubs in a
matter of days. They acquired right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade
with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
ESPN was the first to report Bregman's agreement with the Cubs.
___
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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