Chicago Cubs: Insiders shed further light on Alex Bregman’s value

An interesting nugget recently came out from The Athletic’s Jayson Stark in his annual spring preview survey. Stark added a few new questions to the 36 MLB personnel he surveys every spring; one asks who they feel are the most irreplaceable losses of the offseason. In other words, which former players will be the most missed by any team in baseball?

The leading vote getter (11) was Alex Bregman leaving the Red Sox to join the Cubs. The majority of this group of executives, coaches, and scouts felt that Boston losing Bregman was bigger than other notable departures, such as the Mets losing Pete Alonso (10 votes), the Cubs losing Kyle Tucker (six votes), and the Brewers losing Freddy Peralta (four votes), among many others.

Stark in his column made the point that, while Bregman is a very good player, his offensive production is not necessarily irreplaceable. It is a fair point. One could argue it’s harder to replace a 35-40 homer power bat like Alonso than Bregman’s 128 OPS+ last season. Heck, one can say a healthy Kyle Tucker is a more valuable offensive asset than Bregman. Still, there are solid reasons why Bregman got these votes.

Why was Bregman the leading vote getter?

It’s what Bregman brings as a teammate that the Red Sox will dearly miss, per the voters. One of the voters was quoted by Stark as saying the loss of Bregman is big, “because of everything he [Bregman] brings, even off the field.” Another voter pointed out that losing Bregman hurts the “young guys” on the Red Sox. Cubs fans got a sense of what kind of leader Bregman was in his opening presser; other top baseball minds are confirming that.

There is a lot to take away from these results. The one voter talking about the impact on young guys is notable, given that Bregman is taking Pete Crow-Armstrong under his wing. Other notable young players who could benefit from Bregman’s presence include Matt Shaw, Moisés Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcántara, whether it’s having someone to go to for baseball advice or just having another leader in the clubhouse.

Another voter saying, “Everything he brings” reads as both being a teammate and a player. Even if Bregman’s overall production can be replaced to some extent, he is such a well-rounded ballplayer that he provides a good balance of hitting and defense. He’s a guy who can slug while also making contact and getting on base, as well as a plus glove at third. Adding a great presence to those balanced skills makes for a very valuable asset.

Bregman made the Cubs one of the offseason’s biggest storylines.

Heading into the new year, the Cubs were once again hounded for not spending big. They made plenty of pitching moves for the bullpen, but saw several big fish go elsewhere. Signing Bregman and trading for Edward Cabrera within days of each other changed the narrative on the North Side. Even if Bregman was not the biggest free agent, he was among the top, and the Cubs got their flowers for making a “big market” move.

Even with Tucker’s departure, there is a lot of bullishness about the Cubs, and much of it is due to Bregman’s arrival. Had they not landed him or another notable position player, the feelings would be a bit different.

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