Trade Idea Moves Red Sox Third Baseman Alex Bregman to Cubs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The odds of the Boston Red Sox trading third baseman Alex Bregman, a player whom they signed to a three-year contract worth $120 million during the offseason, are slim. MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reported as such during an episode of the “Fenway Rundown” podcast on Tuesday, claiming that the Red Sox will keep Bregman through the end of the 2025 season.
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The Red Sox, however, could put a high price tag on Bregman, especially since he is among the best hitters in baseball and would have two-plus years of control. He would also be provide a significant asset to any squad looking for increased production at third base.
Enter the Chicago Cubs, who have a 46-33 record (which is tied-fourth best in MLB) but are just 2.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Because of the Brewers’ close proximity to the Cubs in the standings, the latter club will be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline as it aims to maximize productivity at every position.
That’s why ClutchPoints’ Bailey Bassett could see the Cubs engaging in trade talks with the Red Sox about potentially trading for Bregman. The Cubs may have to pay two pretty pennies for Bregman’s services in exchange: infielder Jefferson Rojas (the team’s No. 5 overall prospect) and starting third baseman Matt Shaw.
Bassett believes a trade for Bregman would “only really make sense” with Shaw’s inclusion.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) is congratulated after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
“Shaw has loads of potential, but he has struggled early. The 2023 first-round pick is only batting .219 with two home runs through 160 at-bats,” Bassett wrote. “Bregman, meanwhile, is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career. The two-time champion and former Gold Glove/Silver Slugger winner is batting .299 and has a slugging percentage of .553. He is currently out with a quad injury, but he’d provide a massive boost to Chicago’s lineup if they were to trade for him.”
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The Cubs’ stash of minor-league prospects puts them in a strong position to trade for Bregman – or any high-impact piece, for that matter.
“The Cubs have arguably the best farm system in baseball, so if Bregman becomes available, they have more bidding power than any other team to acquire him. Chicago came into the year with seven Top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com,” Bassett wrote. “They are ready to win now and should be trade-deadline buyers. Additionally, a lot of their top youngsters either just graduated from their prospect status or are ready to make an impact at the major-league level soon. The team doesn’t have innings for all of these prospects, though, so making a consolidation trade for a star makes sense.”
Bregman is having a strong campaign at the plate early in his first season with the Red Sox. Through 51 games this year, Bregman is hitting .299 with 11 home runs, 35 RBIs and 2.9 WAR (according to Baseball Reference).
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.