Adding Bellinger, Bregman, or Bichette Would Make Cubs Legit World Series Contenders
A week into the new year, the Cubs made the blockbuster move we’d all been waiting for. Jed Hoyer just landed the talented right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins in exchange for Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo De Leon. By adding Cabrera, the Cubs have solidified their starting rotation, created some wiggle room for guys to develop and get healthy, and, most importantly, announced they aim to take back the NL Central crown.
If that isn’t enough — and judging by what I hear on 670 The Score, it never is — the city’s North Side baseball team is currently linked to Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and even a possible reunion with old friend Cody Bellinger. Signing any of those three would be a declaration of the intent to contend for much more than just a division title this year and beyond. While both Bregman and Bellinger are represented by Scott Boras, the Cubs are not strangers to working with him.
Given that the Cubs just moved one of the players who was expected to help fill the production gap left by Kyle Tucker‘s departure, they may need to turn to outside help. Bellinger, who can fill in at multiple positions, bashed his way back onto the scene when he joined the Cubs in 2023. He rebuilt the value that had been lost late in his Dodgers tenure, hammering 26 homers with an .881 OPS while also improving his strikeout rate in sustainable fashion.
Bellinger understands what it’s like to play at Wrigley with the wind blowing in, something that has harmed other lefty sluggers. He said that part of what informed his decision to return in 2024 was getting to experience the playoff atmosphere in Chicago, something he’s only ever done as a visitor. If the Cubs bring him back into the fold, he would have a shot to play October baseball at Wrigley.
Securing either Bregman or Bichette might take a little more doing, but either would put the Cubs in the World Series conversation. The Cubs were in the mix for Bregman last season, and their continued pursuit suggests that they find real value in more than just his skills at third base and at the plate. Bregman has often been praised for his veteran leadership, something that was key to the Cubs’ title run a decade ago.
Bichette’s mix of power and contact makes just about any big league team a force to be reckoned with. Over parts of seven seasons in the majors, Bichette has a .294 average with 111 home runs while lowering his strikeout rate in each of the last four campaigns. Plugged in with the likes of the comically underrated Michael Busch and the still-developing Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bichette would make getting through the top of the Cubs’ lineup a harrowing task, to say the least.
In their continued assembly of what appears to be another championship contender in 2026, the Cubs have not taken the path of least resistance. They made us wait more painfully than patiently. But the acquisition of Cabrera in a deal that will withstand the forecasted labor stoppage, Jed Hoyer did not mortgage their entire future for instant gratification. As it stands right now, the Cubs are a good team that just got better. With Bellinger, Bichette, or Bregman in the mix, they might be able to get that better to best.
