With Tatsuya Imai off the board, the Cubs pivot their significant payroll flexibility toward landing star third baseman Alex Bregman.
It has been a quiet offseason for the most part for the Chicago Cubs. Outside of a few bullpen signings, the Cubs haven’t had that major splash yet.
Chicago’s front office is usually good for at least one big move each offseason. Last offseason, it was the decision to trade for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. In the 2024 offseason, the Cubs traded for Michael Busch and signed Shota Imanaga from Japan. In 2023, they signed Dansby Swanson to a massive seven-year deal.
So, a significant move could be on the horizon.
With Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai officially off the board, all eyes are now on All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman. Getting Bregman after missing out on Imai would be a big move for the North Siders.
It feels like there’s also a possibility that Bregman comes to Chicago this offseason. The Cubs continue to show interest in him, and the team has the money to make a move for the soon-to-be 32-year-old infielder.
Spotrac estimates that the Cubs' projected tax payroll currently sits at $205 million. That includes the signings of the five bullpen pieces and first baseman Tyler Austin, and all the projected arbitration contracts.
That leaves the front office with roughly $38 million until they hit the first luxury tax, which is set at $244 million for the 2026 season. Since the Cubs almost certainly won’t be going over that luxury tax number, they could get as close as possible to that number.
Therefore, Chicago has enough room on its payroll to sign a player of Bregman’s caliber. Losing out on Imai might have been a blessing in disguise because the Cubs were never going to pay both Imai and Bregman this offseason.
With Imai now out of the picture, the Cubs can now focus their remaining $38 million on Bregman and other top free agents. Chicago has also reportedly checked in on shortstop Bo Bichette recently.
Now, the front office won’t spend all of that $38 million because they have to save some money for potential trades throughout the season. However, the Cubs have the flexibility to spend $25 to $30 million of that on a big-time free agent.
The big question, though, is whether the Cubs will actually outbid other teams for players like Bregman and Bichette. It always feels like they are in on players, but wind up finishing as runners-up. That was certainly the case with Imai.