The Chicago Cubs might have to make a difficult choice in the next week as a deadline approaches.
While the Chicago Cubs' front office has been notoriously stubborn in offering big contracts to top free agents in the past, various reports this offseason have suggested that the team is willing to make a major splash this winter.
A look at the Cubs' current roster suggests that this splash would perhaps be best spent on either an elite reliever or a frontline starting pitcher. However, now that Pete Fairbanks has signed with the Miami Marlins, there are no quality closers available on the market any longer. And while several ace-caliber arms are still unsigned, some reports suggest that the Cubs are most interested in All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman.Jed Hoyer and the rest of the Cubs' brass have always been interested in Bregman, as they offered him a lucrative deal in free agency last offseason before he signed with the Boston Red Sox. However, their potential pursuit of Bregman becomes clouded, given the presence of another compelling free agent third baseman.Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has been posted by his NPB team and must sign with an MLB club before January 2. Given his success overseas , Okamoto should command a high price in free agency. New York Post insider Jon Heyman conveyed how these two players impact each other's market during a December 22 live stream with Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images "I've got six teams potentially for Okamoto... I've got the Angels, the Pirates, the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Diamondbacks," Heyman said. "Now, you'll notice that a lot of those teams are Bregman teams, so I think the Bregman situation needs to be clarified, and probably will be before Okamoto's expires, and that's on, I believe, January 2nd. He later added, "Again, those last four teams, Boston, Toronto, Cubs, and Arizona, all teams that are looking at Bregman, as well. So it will be interesting to see, once Bregman signs, we're gonna lose one of those teams." In other words, since Okamoto needs to sign before January 2, the Cubs might need to decide whether they want to try to sign him or Bregman in the next week. If they want to wait past January 2 before giving Bregman their final offer, he still might end up elsewhere, and Okamoto will already be with another team.Cubs Pair Named To Top MLB Playoff Performers ListGrant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Boxing, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.Why Phillies Starter Would Be Excellent Solution For Cubs' Rotation Needs
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