MESA, AZ — Perhaps back in the day, when Alex Bregman burst into the big leagues as a brash rookie third baseman with the Houston Astros, it would be different.
It was a time when Bregman was a must-hear sound bite, a must-write interview, and had absolutely no filter.
Now, 10 years later, Bregman still is one of the most talented third basemen in the game, with a resume that includes four pennants, two World Series championships and nine consecutive postseason appearances. But he is much more mature and reserved in his thoughts.
He’ll be 32 years old in a month, is a family man with a wife and two young children, a businessman with his own training facility, Club Nemesis, in Scottsdale and has a father running for governor in the state of New Mexico.
Bregman is a bona fide clubhouse leader who is bilingual, studies hitting tapes and scouting reporters to help teammates and minor leaguers in the organization, and has become one of the game’s respected players with his professionalism and work ethic.
And, yes, he has learned the art of diplomacy.
Bregman, sitting in the bleachers outside the Chicago Cubs’ clubhouse and speaking with USA TODAY Sports, hears the outside noise, particularly emanating from the Boston Red Sox camp, and this time in life refuses to stoke the flames.
If Red Sox president Sam Kennedy wants to say, “If Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately, he’d be here,‘ Bregman will let him talk.
If the Detroit Tigers were so upset Bregman shunned them after the 2024 season that they didn’t even engage this winter when he hit free agency again, that’s their choice.
If the Houston Astros still insist they offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million contract when he left as a free agent two years ago, and instead traded for Isaac Paredes of the Cubs, it’s their money to spend it as they wish.
What Bregman will tell you is that he’s absolutely ecstatic to be with the Cubs, and, oh, how the Cubs already love him.
This is where Bregman believes he belongs, but if he wanted to be perfectly candid, he could offer his own retort to the Red Sox by saying, “If he Red Sox really wanted me back, I’d be in Boston.‘
Alex Bregman contract takes him to Wrigley
It’s not worth his time to go down that rabbit hole and will simply let the facts speak for itself.
The Red Sox offered Bregman a five-year, $165 million contract, with deferred money, and did not include a no-trade clause. The Cubs offered a five-year, $175 million contract, also with deferred money, and included a no-trade clause.
So, if the Red Sox had simply offered a no-trade clause, would Bregman be wearing a Red Sox uniform today?
“It was more than just that,’ Bregman says.
Did he think he’d be returning to Boston, where he was their clubhouse leader and hit .262 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs with an .821 OPS in 114 games?
“I didn’t know, I really didn’t know,’ Bregman says. “I obviously loved my time there. Love all of the guys there. Love AC [manager Alex Cora]. I’ll always cherish it.’
The memories playing for the Red Sox, even if it was just for one year, will never be forgotten.
“Playing at Fenway is unbelievable,’ Bregman says. “The fans in Boston are unbelievable. My teammates were incredible. I’ll be a fan of their for life. I loved playing for AC and the coaching staff there. They mean a lot to me.’
Bregman hails Cubs ‘tradition’
So, considering all of the great memories, if the Red Sox had just given him a no-trade clause, and at least matched the Cubs’ offer, would he still have chosen the Cubs?
“I just really don’t want to get into it,’’ he says. “It’s not worth it.’
While Bregman declined to provide details of the talks, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations believes that the Red Sox were convinced Bregman and agent Scott Boras were bluffing. The Red Sox were confident they had the highest bid, and thought they’d bidding against themselves.
So, basically, it was take-it-or-leave it offer.
Bregman left it.
It was similar circumstances to two years ago when Bregman became a free agent for the first time. The Tigers made the highest offer at six years, $171.5 million, and refused to bid. It was more than the Astros’ offer at $156 million, but included an opt-out only after the second year.
Bregman still thought he was heading to Detroit to join his former manager A.J. Hinch until the Red Sox jumped in with a three-year, $120 million deal. It was not only paying him $40 million a year compared to the Tigers’ annual salary of $28.8 million, but it also included opt-outs after the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Teams made their choices, and Bregman certainly made his, and isn’t about to look back.
Bregman purchased a home in the Scottsdale area, a 20-minute drive to the Cubs’ spring-training complex, and living in a city filled with Cubs’ fans, with one of every six residents are from Chicago, according to studies.
No need for opt-outs
He is home.
And even with his third different uniform in three years, he hopes to continue his streak of playing in the postseason every year of his career, leading the Cubs back to another World Series championship without having to wait another 108 years.
“It feels good, I’m so excited to be here,’’ Bregman said. “There’s just so much tradition. Great fanbase. So much history. Great energy in the ballpark. Everything.
“I just hope to do my part in helping this team win. Obviously, they already had a really good team, and made a postseason run last year. Now, I hope to help them any way I can.’
‘You can feel the energy’
Certainly, the hype in Chicago is in full force with Bregman’s arrival. They are no longer dreaming of the playoffs, but a World Series, with Bregman already pouring his heart and soul into the organization.
“He really wants to help guys get better,” said Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations. “He’s passionate about it. … It’s rare to have a player that’s invested in helping make young guys better. And you’ll see it in various ways, but it’s a wonderful quality that he has. It’s something people with the Astros talk about and people with the Red Sox talk about, and it’s something he’s earned.’
It’s why fans at their Cubs convention screamed just at the sight of Bregman, and after spending the week in Chicago attending a Bulls game, Blackhawks game and Bears game, it’s as if they already adopted him as a native son.
“It’s crazy, it was so much fun,’ Bregman said. “The energy is crazy, especially with it being 10 degrees outside and just seeing how excited everybody was. You can feel the energy in the city and they love their sports teams, and they love their city.
“There’s so much energy in those buildings and everyone has welcomed me with open arms. I’m so grateful for that. My wife and I are super excited to get out in the community and raise our kids there.’
Bregman, a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, realizes there will be ups and downs like any year. He was off to one of the finest starts of his career last year until missing 1½ months with an injury. He hasn’t had that spectacular of season since 2019 when he slashed .297/.423/.592 with 41 homers and 112 RBIs, finishing runner-up in the MVP race.
And, of course, he’s now playing for the first time in the National League. Fans still viciously boo players from the 2017 Astros, who were embroiled in the sign-stealing scandal.
Perhaps in time there will be forgiveness for those Astros hitters still in the game, just as the Hall of Fame voters ended their punishment towards Carlos Beltran, electing him into this year’s Hall of Fame class.
“It was super cool to see Carlos get in,’ Bregman says. “He was a superstar player, and one of the best clubhouse guys I’ve ever been around.’’
He was also thrilled to see former Astros teammate Justin Verlander return to the Tigers where his career started, giving the Tigers one of the most dynamic rotations in baseball with two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, former Astros teammate Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Verlander.
““I’m so excited for him … That’s a good team,’ Bregman said. They got a lot of pitching. That rotation is really, really good.’
World Baseball Classic for Bregman. Olympics next?
Bregman was invited by Mark DeRosa, manager of Team USA, to be his third baseman last summer. He was in the 2017 squad that won a gold medal, but as the youngest player on the team (22), only got eight plate appearances. He would have played in 2023, but he broke his finger in Game 7 of the 2022 World Series.
Now, he’s back, representing Team USA.
“I had so much fun that first time playing in it, I really missed out last time,’’ Bregman said. “I always loved representing our country, and take so much pride representing the red, white and blue.’’
He says he looks forward to being around infielders Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson for two weeks, and particularly Yankees MVP Aaron Judge, while getting to know his own Cubs teammates with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matthew Boyd. The bonus is that Team USA will be playing their pool round games at Daikin Park in Houston, where Bregman played the first nine years of his career, and where his in-laws and plenty of friends still reside.
And if MLB permits their major-league players to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, as expected, count Bregman in. He wouldn’t miss for the world.
“That would be the ultimate,’ Bregman said. “It would be crazy. It would really be incredible.’
But for now, well, he’s got a championship to win, this time in Chicago, with baseball already scheduled for October on the Bregman calendar. He is four years shy of tying the MLB record of 13 consecutive postseason appearances, set by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Clayton Kershaw.
“I don’t take it for granted at all,’ Bregman says. “I know how hard it is to get there. How many things have to go right, how many things your team has to do well to get there. So, believe me, I never take it for granted.
“I mean, I just love playing meaningful baseball games in October every single year.
“I sure look forward to doing that again here.’’
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale