The Chicago Cubs made Alex Bregman an offer that they knew he could refuse. Even after the negotiations dragged into spring training, league sources indicated the Cubs were outbid by multiple teams in all the ways that free agents keep score — years,

The Cubs ushered in the first day of spring training on Sunday, as the first team to hold official pitchers and catchers workouts. Alex Bregman was still unsigned. “I obviously can’t comment on any individual players,” president of baseball operations Hoyer said when asked what it would take to get talks to the finish line.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made his case to ownership that this was the right moment to pursue star free agent Alex Bregman for third base, and received the green light. In the end,