Red Sox rumor might unexpectedly boost Cubs’ Alex Bregman pursuit

Mark Taylor/GettyImagesThe Chicago Cubs seem to have their sights set higher than we've seen during Jed Hoyer's tenure as president of baseball operations, with reports connecting them to Tatsuya Imai, Robert Suarez and Alex Bregman, among others, as the Winter Meetings get underway in Orlando.

The Bregman rumors seem like a rerun of what we heard last winter, when the Cubs eventually bowed out as the two-time World Series champion joined the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 pact that included opt-out provisions. Those opt-outs have the 31-year-old infielder back on the open market, no longer tied to draft pick compensation - and once again in Chicago's crosshairs.

Cubs could swoop in if…