Cubs Rumors: Whit Merrifield makes too much sense for Chicago

The Chicago Cubs desperately need a leadoff hitter since they haven’t had one since Dexter Fowler

Since it’s officially the offseason for the Chicago Cubs, they are looking to improve for the 2020-2021 MLB season.

Rumors about the Cubs acquiring the Royals star player has been a hot topic so far this offseason

The Chicago Tribune recently did a Q&A and identified that Whit Merrifield is a priority for the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

The Cubs have been struggling to find a true leadoff hitter since the 2016 season when Dexter Fowler was with the team.

They’ve tried a couple of different leadoff hitters since then, like Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Albert Almora, Jason Heyward, and Kyle Schwarber. But out of those five, Schwarber has been the one with the most at-bats.

Since they have solidified the manager spot in Ross, the Cubs can now focus on their offseason and figure out what they need to do to improve the roster.

A leadoff hitter definitely should be at the top of that list since it’s what they are lacking in.

Whit Merrifield would fit perfectly with the Cubs and is what they need on the field and in the lineup. Merrifield batted .302 and had 206 hits last year, and is an on-base machine.

Although he is 30 years old, it’ll take a lot to acquire him from the Royals.

Possible trade scenario

The Cubs could trade Willson Contreras to the Royals along with a couple of pitching prospects for Merrifield. Losing Contreras wouldn’t be that big of a deal since they do have Miguel Amaya, who’s been killing it in the minors, and they also have Victor Caratini who could be the starter for most of the season.

Based off of Cubs beat writer Mark Gonzales, the Cubs could be looking to trade Nico Hoerner or Schwarber as part of a trade to acquire Merrifield.

If they ended up trading Contreras as part of the deal, It wouldn’t hurt as much since they already have Caratini, who can be a starter in the majors as well as Amaya.