Cubs Still Actively Involved with Bregman, Bichette After Cabrera Trade Left Room in Budget
The Cubs trading for Edward Cabrera was the big news on Wednesday. Several teams have tried to trade for the right-hander over the last year, but the Marlins have maintained an unreasonable asking price. Heading into the 2025 trade deadline, the Marlins asked the Cubs for two top-100 prospects and more. No one met those demands, so Cabrera stayed with the Marlins to finish out the 2025 season.
With the righty suffering a UCL strain that led to his 11th IL stint late last season, leading to questions about whether anyone would okay his medicals, the Marlins had to reduce their ask. Even though the Cubs ended up parting with less than some expected, losing Owen Caissie was a big blow. He was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Cubs’ farm system prior to the trade, and was expected to contribute in Chicago as both an outfielder and DH.
Kyle Tucker‘s departure gave the Cubs a hole in right field and in the lineup that Caissie was going to play a big role in filling. Seiya Suzuki figures to return to right field on an everyday basis, but that doesn’t change anything offensively since he was an everyday fixture as the DH when he wasn’t taking over for an injured Tucker. That leaves Jed Hoyer searching for a way to replace the production of an NL Silver Slugger, and internal options are limited.
Budget is always a topic of conversation when discussing the Cubs’ shopping habits. Without getting into the weeds on the overly-discussed issue, Hoyer is working with a lower spending ceiling than most would prefer. After spending more than usual on the bullpen, he only had the money to spend big on either a rotation piece or a big bat. Trading for Cabrera rather than spending $25 million or more on an arm allowed Hoyer to strengthen the rotation while still leaving room for another significant addition.
Assuming they want to stay under the first CBT threshold of $244 million, they have around $31 million left to spend this offseason. Hoyer typically likes to leave around $5-10 million in space for the trade deadline, which would bump the available funds down to as low as $21 million. However, it’s not unreasonable to picture them going right up to the threshold before the season starts and then going over if the team’s chances at the trade deadline are promising.
With several star hitters still available on the free agent market, having around $30 million to spend on offense is exciting. CI has learned that the Cubs are still very much involved in the markets of Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette, both of whom should command north of $25 million per year.
Bregman was a target last offseason, with the Cubs even making a four-year offer worth $115 million. He went to the Red Sox on an opt-out-heavy deal and had a successful season in Boston, posting an .822 OPS with 18 home runs. He only played in 114 games due to injuries, but was very effective during his time on the field. That was enough to get him to opt out in search of the deal he couldn’t last last winter.
Bregman played exclusively at third base during the 2025 season — and in every season since 2019 — with 3 outs above average and one defensive run saved. He could DH some days in order to give his legs an occasional break, especially with Matt Shaw as an option to play the hot corner.
Unless a mystery team jumps in at the last second, Bregman’s market appears to be down to just the Cubs and Red Sox now that the Diamondbacks have taken Ketel Marte off the market. This pits Hoyer against his former colleague Craig Breslow, who has yet to sign a major league free agent this offseason. Boston has reportedly made an “aggressive” offer to the third baseman that could be in the range of $170 million over six years, so he isn’t going to come cheap.
But we’ve already seen Bregman take a deal that was a better fit for him rather than one that paid him the most, so maybe he could be drawn to Chicago by more than just a bigger number. Greg Zumach proposed a five-year deal for Bregman that would work perfectly with the Cubs’ financial plans. It would give Bregman several years of security while also keeping the AAV at a reasonable level for the Cubs and their budget.
I’d toss Alex Bregman this offer
5/140
6th year team option or $10m buyout
20, 35, 30, 30, 25 (team option for $20m)Boras and Bregman get $150m guaranteed, with total contract potential of $200m including last year’s.
Cubs save 2026 cash for final BP piece— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) January 9, 2026
The team’s interest in Bichette has become more apparent over the last few weeks, as a return to Toronto feels less and less likely. His last big moment with the team was a home run in Game 7 of the World Series, which ended up being one of the greatest baseball games of all time.
Bichette’s market, similar to Bregman’s, does not appear to involve many teams. Recent reports have mentioned the Phillies as a possible landing spot, with the Yankees also showing interest. The Cubs have been mentioned several times recently, and the possibility of adding a hitter as talented as Bichette to the lineup is intriguing.
In 139 games with the Blue Jays during the 2025 season, Bichette posted a .311 average and .840 OPS. He did well in terms of making hard contact and squaring the ball up, but struggled at chasing pitches outside of the zone. Nonetheless, he collected 63 extra-base hits, proving himself to be one of the best pure hitters in the sport.
The defensive side of things is where teams and analysts have concerns with the value Bichette bring to a team. His -13 outs above average tied him with Brandon Lowe for the worst mark in baseball. The Cubs have Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Nico Hoerner at second, which would mean Bichette’s only real option would be third base with Shaw moving into a utility role. Although Bichette hasn’t played the hot corner before, he might be able to transition with better results than he’s gotten at short.
Both Bregman and Bichette are great at limiting whiffs, with nearly identical strikeout rates of 14.1% and 14.5% respectively, which would fit well in the Cubs’ lineup. Bregman is the better option when looking at offense and defense, but Bichette may provide more value if he can be had for a lower cost. There is a report that he’s seeking $300 million, though that seems very far-fetched.
Another name that has come up recently is old friend Cody Bellinger, who was with the team in 2023 and 2024. Bellinger and the Yankees have been in negotiations throughout the winter, with a recent report from Brendan Kuty suggesting that the Yankees have made quite a substantial offer to the former MVP. They are reportedly dangling a contract worth more than $30 million AAV, though the length may not be what Bellinger is seeking.
The Yankees' most recent offer to Cody Bellinger was for upwards of $30 million per year, but Bellinger and Scott Boras are seeking a seven-year deal, per @BrendanKutyNJ pic.twitter.com/BQJhQJOtqS
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) January 9, 2026
Bringing Bellinger back would be interesting, as that would allow Suzuki to remain in the DH role with Shaw staying at third. The ups and downs of Bellinger’s career should cause some concern when considering an offer of serious magnitude, but it’s wise for the Cubs to hang around in case talks with the Yankees fall apart.
An offseason that appeared fruitless and disappointing just a week ago has quickly turned into one filled with potential and excitement. Trading for Cabrera addressed one of the team’s biggest offseason needs, and did so with minimal impact to the budget. With the pitching staff now strengthened, the focus shifts to solidifying the lineup with a major bat to replace Tucker. Doing so would position the Cubs not only as the best team in the division but also as a legitimate contender for the pennant.
