CHICAGO (AP) — All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a $175 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to two people familiar with the deal.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. The contract includes a no-trade provision allowing Bregman to block deals without his consent.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, was back on the market for a second straight offseason. He also was pursued by the Cubs before he signed a $120 million, three-year contract with Boston last February, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
He decided to test free agency again after hitting .273 for the Red Sox with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games, his fewest since 2021. Bregman missed all of June with a quadriceps injury.
He earned $40 million in his one season with Boston, of which he received $15 million last year. The Red Sox owe him $5 million in January 2028 and $2 million each June from 2035-44.
Bregman played his first nine seasons with the Houston Astros, winning World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 — although the first of those yielded a sign-stealing scandal that earned Bregman and his teammates plenty of scorn.
When the Gold Glove winner joined the Red Sox, they already had All-Star Rafael Devers at third base. Boston asked Devers to move to DH, and the team’s relationship with the slugger soured to the point that Devers was traded to San Francisco in June.
Boston ended up leading the major leagues in errors, but the Red Sox did return to the postseason for the first time in four years. Bregman’s OPS of .822 was his best since 2019, and he earned All-Star honors for a third time.
Chicago finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before getting eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game Division Series.
The Cubs used Matt Shaw at third base last season, and the rookie played stellar defense while batting .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games. Shaw also can play second base, but Nico Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove winner at the position.
There could be another trade on the horizon to clear up the team's infield situation, or Shaw could move into a super-utility role with Bregman’s arrival.
The addition of Bregman was the second major move by the Cubs in a matter of days. They acquired right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
ESPN was the first to report Bregman's agreement with the Cubs.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman fields a groundout hit by Baltimore Orioles' Jordan Westburg during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, on Aug. 18, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — At the very end of his seventh season as Green Bay's coach, Matt LaFleur saw a team that lacked composure at big moments in a playoff game.
It was an all-too-familiar scene for the Packers — one that will follow LaFleur for a long time.
“We’ve got to look at it. We’ve got to talk. There’s a lot of pieces,” he said. “All you’re trying to do in the moment is, when mistakes are made, you’re correcting them. There’s not long discussions on the sideline. It’s just you correct the mistakes and you try to keep it moving. And I felt like just our team got a little bit disheveled in the second half.”
It sure did.
Green Bay blew a 21-6 lead in the fourth quarter of a wild 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Saturday night. The collapse included two big misses by Brandon McManus on an extra point and a 44-yard field goal, along with a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a timeout and a fumbled snap on the final play of the game.
It was the fifth consecutive loss for Green Bay (9-8-1), a season-ending slide that featured two dramatic losses at Chicago. The Packers blew a 16-6 lead in the final minutes of regulation in a 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Dec. 20.
Green Bay dropped to 33-3 in the playoffs when it led by at least 10 points. The other losses were against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 NFC title game and the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2003 divisional round.
“We had a game where we couldn’t finish it and let a team come back and beat us,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “So it’s very disappointing to end the season on a note like that. So, yeah, everybody is very disappointed. I’m very disappointed, and that’s it.”
The tough finish could lead to major changes for Green Bay.
LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst each have one year remaining on their contracts. Ed Policy, who took over as Green Bay's president and CEO last summer, has said he’s “generally opposed” to the idea of having a coach or GM enter the final year of a contract without an extension.
LaFleur, 46, declined to get into the specifics of his situation after the loss, but he said being Green Bay's coach “means everything” to him. He also got a vote of confidence from his quarterback.
“I definitely think Matt should be the head coach,” Love said. “I’ve got a lot of love for Matt, and I think he does a good job.”
Love threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half. The Packers had a 21-3 lead when McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
Love's 23-yard TD pass to Matthew Golden made it 27-16 with 6:36 left, but McManus was wide left on the extra-point attempt. His missed 44-yard try would have provided a 30-24 lead in the final minutes.
“It’s disappointing,” McManus said. “My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven points on the board today. Like I said, it’s the most disappointing part of my career right now.”
A delay-of-game flag coming out of a Green Bay timeout played a role in the drive stalling ahead of McManus' final kick of the night. LaFleur called the penalty “inexcusable.”
The Packers drove to the Bears 23 on their final possession, but offensive lineman Rasheed Walker was called for a false start before Love threw two incomplete passes. The timing on the final play was thrown off when Love dropped the snap.
“We had a play called to be able to take a shot to the end zone,” Love said. “And then, depending on the coverage they were playing, how soft they were, trying to pick up an easy couple yards to the sidelines, that’s what we went to. When I fumbled the snap, couldn’t get that, it kind of turned into last-second Hail Mary.”
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Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love talks after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love throws during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur reacts during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur reacts during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
