Cubs tout Alex Bregman's leadership as they enter long-term commitment

Third baseman Alex Bregman and his wife Reagan celebrated a contract with the Cubs on Saturday by going to dinner and visiting a new teammate.

Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon and his wife Claire live down the street from the Bregmans in Arizona. So, they hosted the newly-minted Cubs family the same night Bregman agreed to a five-year contract worth $175 million.

“Talked about the Cubs, talked about all the guys on the team, talked about the organization,” Bregman said at this introductory news conference Thursday. “And just hearing how excited he was, and the rest of the guys were, it was awesome.”

It was one of a slew of such conversations Bregman has had with his new teammates in recent days. Bregman has also asked for reports on every player so he’d know what his teammates were working on when they talked about hitting. He requested a meeting with the minor-league staff in Arizona to go over organizational offensive philosophy.

“In the four or five days he's been a Cub, there's already been countless examples of things he's working on that no one's asked him to do,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “That's how he thinks about his role. It's not just about getting his workouts in, it's about making sure he's integrated with the entire team.”

The Cubs are often criticized by their peers for relying too heavily on a data-driven model in their acquisition process. And Hoyer said that even when separating Bregman’s makeup, the deal “makes sense” from a “pure performance standpoint.”

Bregman’s leadership qualities, however, could prove invaluable as he weaves himself into the fabric of the organization.

“I'm a winning baseball player and focused on winning,” Bregman said in his opening remarks Thursday. “And in talking with Jed and [general manager Carter Hawkins] throughout this process, I know that the Cubs organization is focused on winning. And looking forward to doing that and winning a championship here.”

Bregman even said that’s why he chose his jersey number, No. 3, because he’s seeking his third championship.

When discussing beyond-the-boxscore impact, it’s necessary to acknowledge that Bregman was on the 2017 World Series-winning Astros, who were infamous for their electronic sign-stealing scandal. But while fans haven’t forgiven the transgression, within the industry, it hasn’t clung to the individual players’ reputations.

Bregman has been on Hoyer's radar since he was in high school, and even more so during the collegiate career at LSU that set him up to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft.

“Never really had a great opportunity to acquire him, but certainly always admired him from afar,” Hoyer said, “because of how he plays a game, how he prepares, and also how people around him talk about him, which is really important.”

Sure, the three-time All-Star is known for his plate discipline, pull-side power and defense. But he also learned Spanish to better communicate with his Spanish-speaking teammates.

“Early on in professional baseball, I felt like if I wanted to be a leader, I needed to be able to communicate with everybody,” he said.

Hoyer took a swing at acquiring Bregman last year, when his free agency dragged into spring training and the Cubs had an opening at third base. But they lost out to the Red Sox.

After Matt Shaw established himself at third in his rookie 2025 season, the addition of Bregman raised questions about the infield setup. Would Shaw shift to a utility role? Could a trade be coming?

“We have guys that can play different positions really well,” Hoyer said, noting that Shaw could even take fly balls in the outfield this spring. “And in my experience in baseball, but also with the Cubs and players that have been a part of a lot of winning here, moving guys around the diamond, it works, and it can work really well.”

The Cubs have fielded inquiries about second baseman Nico Hoerner all offseason, and the Giants continue to pursue a potential trade, sources confirmed.

Those sources also said the Cubs have suggested a high asking price for Hoerner. The Giants would likely need to center a return package around a top prospect for the Cubs to consider trading Hoerner in the last year of his contract.

San Francisco is also engaged with St. Louis on second baseman Brendan Donovan, who is under team control through 2027, sources confirmed.

Hoerner, Shaw and Bregman are all set to attend Cubs Convention this weekend. And the large gathering will give Bregman the chance to connect with most of the remaining teammates he hasn’t yet seen in person.

“I feel like you can sense the excitement here,” Bregman said, “not only from the Cubs fans, but also the players are very excited as well.”