As they reported for spring training Sunday, the Cubs continued to play the waiting game in their pursuit of third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.
Coming off a historically bad season, the White Sox feel confident in the foundational changes they’ve made and are optimistic about their crop of young talent. They just aren’t sure when that will translate to wins at the big league level.
The pain of missing out on third baseman Alex Bregman was obvious on Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s face Thursday as he processed the team’s failed pursuit of a standout player in free agency.
The battle to be the Cubs’ fifth starter remains a toss-up as spring training continues. As of Monday, veteran right-hander Colin Rea may have the inside track to fill the last rotation slot when the MLB season gets going stateside in late March.
Off to a strong 14-10 start and leading the NL Central, the Cubs are already browsing the trade market looking for pitching help after left-hander Justin Steele underwent season-ending elbow surgery.
