Cubs Continue to Be Connected to Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suárez

Anyone who’s followed CI for a while is probably familiar with the way I say I’m going to keep a piece short, only to ramble on for way longer than necessary. Well, I’m finally going to get this one right because I’d like to get in a round of cardio before football starts. Speaking of which, how about those Indiana Hoosiers? Damn, that was a fun game.

Alright, back to it. The Cubs are clearly prioritizing pitching this winter, which is as much a matter of necessity as anything else. They need to completely overhaul a bullpen that lost almost all of its key members to free agency, plus the rotation needs a jolt. After facing a bevy of flamethrowing high-leverage arms in the postseason, Jed Hoyer knows he’s got work to do.

At the same time, the Cubs need to replace Kyle Tucker‘s early-season production. Rather than just hoping that comes via big steps forward from Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros, both of whom could also be dangled in trades for controllable starters, Hoyer will look to add a big bat. That could be a strategic fit like Rob Refsnyder, who is a perfect platoon bat on paper because he crushes lefty pitching and won’t cost a grip.

Then there’s Alex Bregman, who keeps being connected to the Cubs after spurning their offer for a better deal from the Red Sox last winter. I have noted more than once that I don’t like the idea of adding Bregman, whose middling defense and flagging power don’t figure to age well over the life of what should be at least a five-year deal.

Bob Nightengale joined the chorus of reporters citing the Cubs’ potential interest in Bregman, noting that they could move Matt Shaw to second if they made the splashy signing. He must have been thinking about 2027 and beyond, however, as there’s the small matter of that Nico Hoerner guy being at the keystone for another year. Unless the Cubs opt to flip their best all-around player as a rental, which I think would be a mistake. Hoerner should be extended as a piece of the future, but that will require both parties to align on his value.

A player I think makes far more sense than Bregman is Eugenio Suárez, someone in whom the Cubs had interest at the trade deadline before he went back to Seattle for their playoff run. According to Francys Romero, that interest may still be there. Though Suárez is about three years older than Bregman, his projected contract is roughly one-third of what his counterpart could command for what may only be two years.

Unlike Bregman, Suárez has been able to maintain his power stroke into his 30s and should be able to do so over the course of his next deal. He could push Shaw into a utility role in 2026, plus he could DH a bit with Seiya Suzuki patrolling right field against tough lefties. Given what figures to be a relatively limited budget, saving several million in AAV while getting a great deal more power and avoiding the potential of an age-related production cliff seems like a better option.

Not to mention how much more fun it would be to hear Pat Hughes say that name over and over.