How Cubs' $175M Alex Bregman deal could end up screwing over the Mariners

Sometimes it's nice to know that your team never really had a shot at a player. Such is the case with the Seattle Mariners and Alex Bregman, who were only ever going to get together on a short, relatively affordable deal.

The Chicago Cubs utterly detonated that possibility on Saturday, when they agreed to terms with Bregman on a five-year, $175 million contract that pays out $35 million per year. He actually beat expectations with that contract, whereas he would have had to abandon his expectations altogether if he was going to end up with the Mariners.

Even so, this is not necessarily a happy ending for Seattle. Because the ominous question in the room is what comes next, specifically for the Boston Red Sox.

Cubs' deal with Alex Bregman could push Red Sox toward Mariners targets

The Red Sox are, of course, on the losing end of Bregman's decision to bolt for the North Side of Chicago. Per ESPN's Buster Olney, they thought they had him back after making a five-year, $165 million offer, and are disappointed that he's now gone:

The Red Sox fanbase, meanwhile, is understandably apoplectic over losing Bregman. It's the last thing the organization needed following a year in which they had to fight to reclaim credibility after trading Rafael Devers. Building a team around Bregman was meant to be the answer.

Clearly, the Red Sox have to do something. And that "something" could involve stealing one of the Mariners' infield targets from under their noses.

In pondering Boston's post-Bregman possibilities, Ian Browne of MLB.com set targets on Eugenio Suárez, Brendan Donovan and Nico Hoerner. The first two are known to be on Seattle's radar, and we'll stump for a trade for Hoerner every day — and at least twice on Sundays.

For each of these pursuits, the Red Sox resemble a powerful enemy. They have more financial resources to throw at Suárez in free agency, and even a farm system as deep as the Mariners' might not necessarily give them an edge on Donovan and Hoerner.

Donovan's fate is controlled by Chaim Bloom, who seems to still covet Boston's talent pool. The Red Sox can also offer MLB-ready pitching for Hoerner, which is a game the Mariners can only play if they decide to subtract from their starting rotation. And they don't want to do that.

The best-case scenario for both Seattle and Boston involves the Red Sox simply signing Bo Bichette. He's another free agent who is almost certainly beyond the Mariners' spending capacity, whereas he should fit comfortably within the Red Sox's. And if the Red Sox sign him, that would lessen their need for another move, perhaps to a point where they don't need one at all.

For now, though, the Mariners should feel nervous enough as to feel emboldened. Particularly on Donovan and/or Suárez, they could be left empty-handed if they let Boston strike first.