Although the Chicago Cubs haven’t hit yet, they have lots of chances to do so before Spring Training begins.
For the Chicago Cubs, Shohei Ohtani proved to be a swing-and-miss player. Pitcher Tyler Glasnow wound up in Los Angeles alongside Ohtani and the Dodgers, if that piqued their curiosity.
What happens next?
Several teams, including the Cubs, were highlighted by MLB.com on Friday as needing to make a “splash” move in free agency, particularly in light of the fact that Ohtani, the greatest free-agent target, is no longer available.
The Cubs’ interest in Ohtani was deemed “legitimate” by MLB.com, and now that he’s signed, they must find a replacement. Accounting for what it has lost or what else it could lose off its own roster is a part of that.
the Cubs also need to account for Cody Bellinger, Marcus Stroman and Jeimer Candelario all hitting free agency. Candelario already signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the division-rival Reds, but the other two remain on the market.
If the NL Central race really is as wide open as it appears, the Cubs — coming off a second-place finish in the division and falling out of the Wild Card race in the final week of the season — would appear to be well-positioned to contend, if their talent base doesn’t erode too much.
The Cubs’ free-agent escapades to this point have involved minor-league contracts — pitchers Edwin Escobar, Alberto Chala, Jeremy Guzman and Ethan Roberts, along with catcher Ivan Cespedes.
The good news for the Cubs is that, if they want to make that splash, there are plenty of options — at least right now.
Hitting? Well, they could re-sign Cody Bellinger, and that might be the most expedient option. But the Toronto Blue Jays appear to be the Cubs’ biggest competition.
If the Cubs can’t get Bellinger back, then they could simply sign Matt Champan away from the Blue Jays and solidify third base in Candelario’s place.
Starting pitching? Well, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Shōta Imanaga are two of the top free agents on the market and the Cubs have the tools to sign one of them. Plus, a trade is possible. Perhaps Dylan Cease from across town or former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber from Cleveland.
As for the bullpen, well one option is tempting and would lead to a reunion:
Oh, and let’s not forget the bullpen, where free-agent closer Josh Hader could slot in nicely for his former manager, Craig Counsell.
The Cubs may have missed on Ohtani, but there is still plenty of time for the Cubs to make a move that will satisfy their fan base and make their team better for 2024.
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