On Thursday morning, Alex Bregman, his wife, and their two young sons, walked into Chicago’s Wrigley Field to begin the next, lengthy chapter of his decorated career.

It’s a triumphant coup for the Cubs, and a stunning, self-inflicted blow for the Boston Red Sox.

Bregman’s introductory press conference was laden with reminders of what the Red Sox have lost: a team leader concerned with the well-being and success of every single person in the organization. His first days with the Cubs are reminiscent of his arrival at Red Sox spring training last February; upon arrival, he immediately began getting to know and mentor top prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer.

“Within two days of signing, he had asked for reports on every player and what they’re working on to make sure that he was talking about the right things with those players,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer, who called Bregman an “incredible teammate,” told reporters.

“He asked for a meeting with all the minor league staff that’s in Arizona to talk about hitting philosophy to make sure he was talking about the right things,” Hoyer said. “He has already called almost all of our players to talk to them.”

The last several days yielded revelations about Bregman’s disappointing negotiations with Boston, and his decision to take a five-year, $175 million deal from the Cubs. On Thursday, the world got to hear about it straight from the source.

Bregman and agent Scott Boras reiterated how ardent and urgent the Cubs’ pursuit of the decorated third baseman had been since the moment he opted out of the remaining two years of his three-year, $120 million Red Sox deal.

“Literally, the first second free agency really opened, it felt like we knew the Cubs wanted our family to be here,” Bregman said. “We had a lot of conversations over the course of the first three months of the offseason. … It was pretty evident they wanted me to be here.”

Speaking about how the Cubs understood his priorities, the ever-diplomatic Bregman’s answers were carefully imbued with Red Sox-related subtext.

“The two most important things to me are my family and winning baseball games,” Bregman said. “From the beginning of the offseason, the Cubs expressed to me that they wanted me to be here, and they were committed to that and committed to my family.

The presser reinforced what has been heavily reported since Bregman’s decision became public last Saturday: Boston’s refusal to give their top free-agent target a no-trade clause contributed heavily to his final decision.

“The no-trade clause was important, and being able to assure he’s going to be in one city,” Boras said.

A no-trade clause would be a logical stipulation for any family-focused athlete, but especially for someone who saw firsthand how the front office handled Rafael Devers, their would-be club cornerstone and highest-paid player in franchise history, last spring.

“Being able to be in a place that offered stability and a place that showed how much they cared about me is super important to me and my family,” Bregman said. “I have a young family and we can’t wait to raise our kids here in Chicago.”

“In free agency, you get to listen to the team’s needs,” Bregman said. “The Cubs valued what I cared about.”

Starr: In failing to re-sign Bregman, Red Sox outdo themselves in worst way