The Chicago Cubs finally got their man when they signed three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman this past offseason.
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The cost was pretty high ($175 million over 5 years) to land the veteran they failed to acquire in a bid before last season. The team also had to move Matt Shaw, one of their top young assets, from third base to a utility role to accommodate Bregman. But the Cubs don’t seem to be second guessing themselves in grabbing at the star.
The question, though, is whether Bregman can live up to the team’s (and the fans’) lofty expectations.
Big expectations of Alex Bregman
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In terms of the lineup, the soon-to-be 32-year-old is expected to fill the offensive spot left behind by right fielder Kyle Tucker, who moved on to a monster free agent deal with the Dodgers.
He’s also expected to assume a big leadership role in the clubhouse. With so many core veteran elements of the team possibly leaving via free agency after this season (Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, etc.), Bregman was signed, in part, to be a cornerstone to a somewhat restructured foundation.
This spring, however, the third baseman hasn’t had all that much time to bond with his teammates due to his involvement in the World Baseball Classic. He’s been limited to just 9 games of Cactus League play.
Jed Hoyer talks expectations and Bregman
Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer speaks before introducing Craig Counsell as new Cubs manager during a press conference in Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
In a recent Q&A with Jon Greenberg of The Athletic, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer talked about the expectations for Bregman and a little about the difficulty in making up for lost spring time with his new teammates.
“I think that’s the fun part of expectations. You want fans excited for the season. You want them to have high expectations. And we have that. I do think Alex raises that,” Hoyer said. “I think he wants that as well. But, you know, he’s been gone a lot, so I think he hasn’t really been able to get into the flow here. He’s a really good hitter. He’s going to do all the things that we like in our hitters in terms of his swing decisions, he puts the ball in play, plays really steady defense. And he provides, you know, a real sense of gravitas, I would say, within the clubhouse. So I think those things are all positive, and we’re just excited to see the season.”
For what it’s worth, Bregman tore things up in the little spring training play he had, hitting .524 with 4 home runs and 5 RBIs in 21 at bats. He’s also saying all the right things.
“The work has exceeded expectations,” the veteran told the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s a cohesive group, super-intelligent, and the work ethic has been outstanding. Every single day the preparation has been eye-opening, and it’s exciting to be part of a group like this.”
Nobody has to worry about Bregman being Bregman this season and beyond. He’s an established presence in the league at this point. The concern will be with expectations and whether too much is anticipated from one player. Everyone will find out what’s what soon enough.
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