John Greenberg from The Athletic

John?

Hey Jed, John Greenberg from The Athletic.

Last year, there's a difference between a winning team and being a real contender.

Were there points in the year last year where you were like, we're really an Alex Bregman, we're the Alex Bregman away from being a real contender?

And is that how you feel what this move does to the Cubs for 2026?

Hey.

Hey, Alex.

Sahadev Sharma with The Athletic.

There's been a lot of talk about leadership and tangible qualities that you bring.

I'm curious, how was that kind of presented to you by Jed in the front office as to how you can bring that to this team?

And how do you view those things?

Like, what does that mean to you?

Hey Alex, it's Jordan Bastion, MLB.com.