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CHICAGO — Alex Bregman made a statement with the number he wore on his uniform throughout his baseball career. That continued Thursday morning, when the third-star shortstop tried on his new Cubs jersey at Wrigley Field, showing off No. 3 as his new number during an introductory press conference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“I’m wearing No. 3 because I want a third championship,” Bregman said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
As the story goes, Bregman wore number 30 at Louisiana State during his college years as a reminder that every team passed on him in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He has worn No. 2 for the past decade in the Majors — selected second overall in the ’15 Draft behind Dansby Swanson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
That increased confidence Bregman has had since his early playing days is a factor that has always caught the eye of Jed Hoyer. The Cubs’ president of baseball operations had admired Bregman from afar for years — dating back to those pre-draft scouting days — and finally jumped at the chance to get him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“Anyone who’s spent time in our office, around me,” Hoyer said, “knows that this is a player I’ve wanted for a long time. … Every account I’ve had with Alex — from college, the Minor Leagues, two major league organizations — is that this is an amazing team player, and someone who is focused on us winning every day.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Bregman is a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one-time Gold Glove winner who helps a program that saw star player Kyle Tucker hit free agency this winter. Although the North Siders made the Wild Card playoffs last season, the football club should be aiming for the team title this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“The two most important things to me are my family and winning baseball games,” Bregman said. “Since the beginning of the season, the Calves expressed to me that they want me to be here, and they are really committed to that and committed to my family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“I can’t wait to work with all the guys on the team in that clubhouse. Hopefully we can win a lot of baseball games and build something really special for a long time together.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hoyer met with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, during the GM Meetings in November and continued their discussion (including flexible offers), which led to the contract being finalized Saturday night. Bregman called it a “normal Saturday” until an hour before the Chicago Bears’ final game against the rival Packers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
As the negotiations intensified, Bregman said his wife began researching places to live in Chicago. And during the third quarter of an NFL game, when the Bears mounted a comeback, news broke that the sides had reached a contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“We kept playing,” Bregman said with a laugh, “and I said, ‘This can go one of two ways. I hope they come back and win.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Bears completed an improbable comeback to knock out their rivals, creating an important day for Chicago sports fans. Bregman attended a Bulls game and a Blackhawks game while in town this week, and will attend the Bears’ next playoff game, against the Rams, after the Cubs Convention wraps up Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“It wasn’t the best time, but it ended up being perfect,” Hoyer said of the deal that happened during the Bears game. “I think [the score] it was 21-6 — they were down — when the news broke. I think Bears fans will be happy to see Alex in action. It’s nice to see this town alive and talking about the Bears. It’s been an amazing run. A great team to watch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“I think in a lot of ways, it’s encouraging for us as well. We had this in October for a minute. And you want to get back there, because this city really responds when you win.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Once the deal was done, Bregman and his wife went out to dinner to celebrate and detoured to the Arizona home of Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon to talk about the road ahead. By then, Bregman had already texted and had a quick phone call with Swanson, and was excited to get to Chicago to meet more teammates at the meeting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Adding Bregman serves as an exclamation point in a busy winter for the Cubs, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Bregman spent 10 parts of the season in the major leagues (nine with the Astros and one with the Red Sox). He has 209 career homers, 293 doubles, 725 RBIs, an .846 OPS and four seasons in which he posted more walks than strikeouts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hoyer said his desire to bring Bregman into the fold goes beyond numbers. The veteran has a strong reputation as a leader and mentor, and the Cubs have seen some of that in action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Bregman asked Hoyer to give him reports on the Chicago players so he could be told what they were working on. He requested a meeting with the Cubs’ pitching staff in Arizona to discuss hitting philosophy, so Bregman knows he’s focusing on the right things in conversations with his teammates and Minor Leaguers. He informed Hoyer that he plans to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but insisted that it will not interfere with his work with the North Siders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“In the four or five days he’s been a Cub,” Hoyer said, “there’s already been countless examples of things he’s been working on that no one has asked him to do. I think that’s how he thinks about his role. It’s not just about getting his workouts in. It’s about making sure he’s integrated with the rest of the team.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Now, Bregman wants to work on that third ring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“I feel like there’s an excitement in the air about Cubs baseball,” he said. “And I can’t wait to follow it up and get out there on the field.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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