The Chicago Cubs have reached out to the agent for Albert Pujols to express their interest in the three-time Most Valuable Player, a baseball source told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

Although discussions between team officials and agent Dan Lozano are in the early stages, the Cubs appear poised to join the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins in an active pursuit of Pujols, a nine-time All-Star who hit the free-agent market in October.

The Cubs' overtures to Pujols come amid speculation that they also have interest in former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. The speculation was ratcheted up a notch last week when the team hired former Brewers coach Dale Sveum as its new manager.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been busy with the managerial hire and other front offices moves but are expected to begin addressing the free-agent and trade markets in earnest in advance of the MLB winter meetings next week in Dallas.