Cubs appear to be headed for massive free agent push |
With the Cubs convention set to begin on Friday, you had to think the Cubs would make some significant signings before the festivities. After all, with 36 days left until pitchers and catchers report, the Cubs were the lone team to make a significant Major league trade or free agent signing this offseason.
As frustrating as that is for fans to hear, you need to keep in perspective that apart from the Dodgers spending frenzy early on, many teams have taken a patient approach to free agency. With that comes several big names still on the market, as 23 of the top 40 free agents were still available heading into Tuesday. That means that even though spring is right around the corner, the Cubs can still make a ton of noise they are linked to several of those names. Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga and the Cubs appear to be in agreement on a new deal, maybe that is what gets the ball rolling for the Cubs. According to reports around the MLB Tuesday, not only are the Cubs in on several top 40 players at the moment, but counting the Imanaga pickup, the Cubs have four significant offers in place that could drastically change the outlook of this team in the coming weeks. What those numbers are remains to be seen, but the Cubs waiting game may be paying off as they could be setting themselves up for a massive free agent push heading into spring. Two players have been linked to the Cubs for the entirety of free agency, and both seem to be perfect fits for the Cubs in Cody Bellinger and Rhys Hoskins. Acquired by the Cubs on a one-year prove-it deal last year, Bellinger went on to have his best season since his MVP year, where he led the Cubs with a .307 average, 26 homers, and 97 RBIs. He also took home the comeback player of the year and continued to prove he still has plenty left in the tank. Expecting to land a massive payday this season, Bellinger was reportedly looking for 250-300 million dollars, but now 200 million may be the cap.
When you look at the Cubs lack of left handed hitting and a void in CF and 1B, Bellinger is the perfect fit for this team and the Cubs are trying not to let him get away. The same can be said about Hoskins, who was listed as the most ideal pickup for the Cubs this offseason. The former Phillie sat out the entire 2023 with a torn ACL and now could be looking for a similar deal to what Bellinger got last season, but perhaps having multiple years attached to it.
Given the Cubs need for a true 1B with Matt Mervis as the lone in-house option right now with Patrick Wisdom, this is a match made in heaven and if Hoskins had anyone, but Scott Boras as his agent he would've been gone a long time ago. While those may be the most connected names to the Cubs, Matt Chapman continues to be a possibility for this team, and the Cubs have reportedly given him an excellent offer to play 3B.
Like 1B, the Cubs have no long-term options at 3B and will enter the season with Nick Madrigal and potentially Christopher Morel as their 3B options. They need to find a solution before some of their kids come up, and Chapman may be that solution. Although his offense may have taken a tumble the past few seasons, the glove hasn't, as he will always be one of the top fielding 3B in baseball.
Can you imagine an infield of Chapman, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, Bellinger, or Hoskins? That is a ton of gold all across the diamond, and that alone will be a pitcher's best friend, helping them pitch to contact more than trying to pitch around hitters.
Now that the Cubs appear to have their starter in Imanaga signed, many folks believe that is it when it comes to adding starting pitching help. Unless this team gets a guy like Michael Lorenzen or James Paxton, Imanaga is their big fish for starting pitchers. That may seem likely, but it may not be accurate, as the Cubs have indeed talked with Jordan Montgomery and have also offered him a massive deal.
This is the one deal that could be tricky, as the Imanaga signing makes it highly unlikely that the Cubs will add another starter into the mix. However, given that Kyle Hendricks will be gone after next season and the possibility of Jameson Taillon being cut or traded if he has another rough season, adding Montgomery wouldn't be a bad idea especially if the Imanaga deal is as cheap as it appears to be.
That will save the Cubs a ton of money and could open the door for them to do something like this to improve their roster further. Either way, the Cubs have finally made their first big move of the offseason, but they won't stop there as this could be just the beginning of a strong push to spring.
