Saturday was a crazy day in the world of Chicago sports.
All three of the big teams that played for the Windy City won, capped off by a crazy comeback win by the Chicago Bears to knock off Green Bay in the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend.
But the only team that wasn’t in action also made a big move. The Chicago Cubs signed free agent infielder Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal to join the NL Central.
Now, you could certainly make the argument that this deal is a little bit of an overpay. Don’t get me wrong, Bregman is a terrific talent who slashed .273/.360/.462 (.821 OPS) and is a career .846 OPS batter.
However, the Cubs have made a huge financial commitment to the 31-year-old. Bregman’s deal is the third largest in Cubs history in terms of total value, and highest ever by annual salary.
But it’s less about the money and more about the roster that the Cubs now have. Chicago, who finished second in the division with 92 wins and made the playoffs, now has added one of the biggest names in the free agent market this offseason.
While getting to 92 wins is perhaps a little unrealistic for the Pittsburgh Pirates, they have to go out and try to match a team like the Cubs in the arms race.
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