Cubs Listed As Trade Fit for $120 Million Red Sox Superstar in Unique Position

The Chicago Cubs have been playing a great brand of baseball throughout the regular season, receiving contributions from players up and down the roster.

Their well-rounded performance has them currently sitting atop the National League Central with a record of 54-38 entering play on July 10.

If the Cubs want to stay in that position, with the Milwaukee Brewers right on their tail, they need to be aggressive ahead of the MLB trade deadline, addressing the few needs that exist on the roster.

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While many people will focus on their pitching staff, namely the starting rotation, as needing a boost in the coming weeks, there is a glaring hole in their lineup worth taking a look at: third base.

Rookie Matt Shaw has failed to make the kind of impact the team was hoping, already being sent down to Triple-A Iowa once for a reset. 

He looked to have gotten things on track upon his return, but has since cooled off again, leading to Chicago having one of the least productive third base situations in baseball.

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Cubs third basemen have produced an OPS of .533 thus far in 2025, hitting only one home run. Both of those stats are last in the MLB, as well as their collective .198 batting average, 21 RBI and 62 hits.

The team still has plenty of confidence in Shaw long-term, but they would regret not attempting to find an upgrade for the 2025 campaign, given their legitimate chance of contending for a World Series.

Who could they target as a replacement?

One potential addition could be Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox, with Chicago being listed amongst the best fits in the MLB trade deadline Big Board 2.0 over at The Athletic.

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“There are a lot of X factors to consider, but Bregman has the championship track record to be an X factor himself. He’s nearing a return from the IL, and is expected to be back soon after the All-Star break. Is that timeline going to hold? Are the Red Sox going to sell? What are interested teams going to make of his contact? Bregman is an All-Star, but he’s also a curious trade candidate,” they wrote.

The Cubs were one of the teams in the running right to the end to sign Bregman in free agency this past winter before he opted to sign a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox.

That contract certainly complicates things because there are opt-out clauses after the first two years.

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So, any team that lands Bregman, should Boston even make him available on the market, is doing so under the assumption he will be a free agent again in a few months.

That makes pinpointing what his value is in a trade very difficult. Is a team taking on a rental or two years of a massive contract? His production speaks for itself, but if a player is going to be around only for a few months, the value drops drastically.

After trading away Rafael Devers, the Red Sox could opt to commit to Bregman long-term at the hot corner, as The Athletic has listed him as an unlikely trade candidate despite ranking No. 2 on their Big Board.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.