MESA, Ariz. — If the Cubs usher in a veteran third baseman this spring, it appears prefer it received’t be Alex Bregman.
Bregman agreed to a three-year cope with the Purple Sox for $120 million, in response to a number of studies Wednesday evening.
The Cubs had been keen on signing the two-time All-Star, however optimism that he would find yourself in Chicago was waning by Wednesday.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer declined to remark immediately about Bregman, or any free agent, in a news conference Sunday as the team opened spring training.
When requested if the Cubs had the payroll flexibility to make a major addition this spring, he stated: “Speaking about precise finances numbers is all the time a harmful factor. However I might simply say, we’ve been actually targeted this offseason on attempting to optimize as a lot as we are able to inside our finances to be sure that we’re a very aggressive group.”
Cubs high prospect Matt Shaw is the favourite to win the place battle at third base this spring, because the roster stands, however the Cubs have burdened that it will likely be a contest.
“He simply doesn’t have a number of expertise at third base,” supervisor Craig Counsell stated this week of Shaw, who the Cubs drafted No. 13 overall in 2023. “He doesn’t have a number of skilled expertise, interval. And that’s a credit score to him. That’s not a knock on him.”
The 12 months he was drafted, Shaw received the Brooks Wallace Award, which works to probably the most excellent faculty shortstop. Final season, he transitioned to enjoying primarily third base.
Veteran utility participant Jon Berti can even play the new nook. And within the Rule 5 Draft this winter, the Cubs chosen third baseman Gage Workman from the Tigers.
Not one of the gamers who made begins at third base for the Cubs final 12 months are nonetheless within the group.
