It sure sounds like Scott Boras is using the Cubs as pawn in Alex Bregman sweepstakes

It's safe to say that Scott Boras is feeling the heat right about now. Sure, he's had some wins so far this winter, most notably Juan Soto. But for the second straight year, Boras finds himself with multiple major clients unsigned with just weeks to go until spring training. While Pete Alonso and the New York Mets are engaged in the world's most conspicuous game of chicken, Alex Bregman's market continues to be stuck in second gear, with multiple teams interested but no one prepared to go to the level that the third baseman (and his agent) had hoped.

And when a market is stuck in second gear, that can only mean one thing: It's time for Boras to reach into his bag of very well-worn tricks. If the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers aren't willing to go above and beyond, he'll find ways to lean on them until they do — often by trotting other teams through the rumor mill. So of course, on Thursday, the New York Post's Jon Heyman — Boras' stenographer of choice — came out with a report that the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs had "significant interesting" in Bregman.

Maybe Heyman's report is accurate; maybe both Houston and Chicago have reconsidered, and upped their offers for Bregman a bit. But the timing here is awfully fishy, and Cubs fans in particular should probably pay it no mind.

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Timing of Cubs-Alex Bregman rumors has Scott Boras written all over it

Both Houston and Chicago were rumored to be in on the two-time All-Star earlier this offseason. But the Astros walked away after talks "stalled," and Jed Hoyer more or less confirmed that, barring the possibility of a short-term deal, the Cubs' third-base job was top prospect Matt Shaw's to lose.

“I think likely," Hoyer said when asked at the team's fan convention over the weekend whether he thought the team's Opening Day starter at the hot corner was already in the organization. “I think we’ll certainly look to supplement. [I was] asked a question about bench players and certainly infield is an area we’ve been focused on, but I think the likelihood is, yeah, [the third baseman is in the organization].”

That's a pretty clear statement, and when you combine it with Hoyer and the Ricketts' insistence that the Cubs won't be blowing well into the luxury tax, it wouldn't seem to leave a lot of room for a Bregman deal at the years and dollar amount that he and Boras are looking for. Which begs the question, which is more likely: That Hoyer suddenly had a change of heart, or that Boras is looking to put some artificial pressure on the teams still left in the bidding?