Alex Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. He became the first marquee free agent to accept a deal in 2026, following a slow offseason that still has quite a few big names left to sign.
Among those whose sweepstakes will be most affected are outfielders Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. It was reported that the markets for all the top free agents had shrunk, where teams weren’t willing to gamble on a long-term commitment. But as Bregman falls, his domino effect is set to be massive.
The three-time All-Star is heading into his age-32 season. He is set to receive an annual salary of $35 million till his age-36 season. Moreover, his contract has no team options or deferrals and has a no-trade clause.
According to SNY TV’s John Harper on Saturday, Bregman and the Cubs’ union could make it harder for Tucker and Bellinger to land a deal if no team is willing to give them a similar long-term contract.
“In a way, it sets the bar higher, I think, for Cody Bellinger in particular, maybe Kyle Tucker,” he said. “Bregman’s gonna be 32 next—I think it’s March sometime or next year sometime. He’s one year older than Bellinger. He’s three years older than Tucker. So Tucker’s gonna be asking for more years, we know that, and Bellinger is gonna be asking the same thing. So I don’t know if it—I mean, that’s a lot of money for Bregman, $35 million a year.”
Interestingly, the Cubs moved to Bregman after a small stint with Cody Bellinger from 2022 to 2024 and an even smaller stint with Tucker last season. Bregman immediately becomes part of a core that will have several pieces reach free agency in the next couple of seasons.
MLB Writer Predicts Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger’s Future After Alex Bregman Deal
MLB website’s Mark Feinsand answered questions on Saturday related to the overall free agency market after Bregman’s deal was reported. He named the favorites for both Bellinger and Tucker after the Cubs exited his race.
“The Blue Jays remain among the favorites for Tucker, with the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers also in the mix,” he wrote.
“Bellinger and the Yankees appear to remain far apart in their talks… The Mets are certainly interested in Bellinger, while the Dodgers could look for a reunion with their former star, too.”
Both players would hope to sign as soon as possible, with Spring Training set to start on February 21.
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