The Chicago Cubs have come out and played well this season. They are currently in the NLDS, getting ready for their series against the Milwaukee Brewers after ending the San Diego Padres' season Thursday night.
A key contributor to the team's success this year has been Kyle Tucker, whom the team acquired from a trade with the Houston Astros ahead of the season. He has played in 136 games during the regular season, hitting .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 runs batted in.
However, he will be a free agent when the season comes to an end. Given his star status, he could be a hard one to re-sign, and Chicago must think about some replacements if he does sign elsewhere over the winter.
Cubs linked as potential suitor for $120 million slugger if he decides to opt out
The Boston Red Sox saw their season end on Thursday as they lost Game 3 of the Wild Card against the New York Yankees. All attention now turns toward Alex Bregman, who is expected to opt out of his contract and test the open market. If he does, he could be a real option for Chicago, via Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly.
"Kyle Tucker's exit from Chicago seems more plausible than Schwarber leaving Philadelphia. If so, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer could consider Bregman, Tucker's former teammate."
Even as a potential suitor, figuring out how the Cubs would use Bregman is unclear. Matt Shaw has done well over at the hot corner, but there is no denying the kind of value Bregman could bring to the organization. This is a situation fans will want to keep their eye on.