There are plenty of Chicago Cubs rumors floating around about who they may target, but these three names are ideal fits.
The baseball offseason is about to gather a head of steam with the Winter Meetings already kicking off early this week. The Chicago Cubs have had just over a month to wind down from their defeat at the hands of the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card game and Theo Epstein has made it clear that the roster must begin to produce.
Amidst several reports that the Cubs will be budget crunched this offseason, already sitting roughly $19 million above the first tier of the CBT threshold, Theo has essentially confirmed that the team will have to get creative to add big dollar contracts to their payroll.
A month ago at the GM meetings, Theo said the Cubs aren't ruling anything in or out re: big-time free agents. Today: "We’d have to get really creative to add dollars of real significance and that’s still the case. Things would have to be sequenced in certain ways.”
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 6, 2018
Theo Epstein: "Like any good business, we have a budget and we adhere to it. ... If there are limitations, or if there’s a need to get creative, it just underscores the fact that we have to do a better job. We have to find value and efficiency on the roster."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 6, 2018
With the obvious need to become more consistent on offense, and the importance of fortifying the bullpen to make another deep postseason run, the Cubs have their hands full to fill crucial spots on their roster with a limited budget.
Aside from the big ticket hitting free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, that would make significant contributions to any MLB club, there are several other hitters on open market that would provide value.
This piece is designed to identify three hitters on the free agent market that could provide value to the Cubs. The catch is that they are more under the radar type hitters, or at least haven’t been as hyped up by the media. I have selected these hitters using Fangraph’s 2019 Free Agent Tracker, selecting players with a projected WAR of less than three.
If the Cubs truly aren’t going to add players that will be guaranteed huge contracts, it will be players that I am about to identify that the Cubs should and will be targeting to add value to a roster that is already loaded with star power.