Chicago Cubs showing interest in second baseman Scooter Gennett

The Chicago Cubs are reportedly interested in free-agent second baseman Scooter Gennett, who was limited by a groin injury in 2019.

It’s been quite some time that the Chicago Cubs have had this much open competition for roster spots on the team, and I am not quite sure if that’s positive or negative. Per several reports, the team is interested in free-agent second baseman, Scooter Gennett, who was severely limited by a groin injury in the 2019 season. Gennett, 29, played in just 42 games between the Reds and Giants and hit a miserable .226.

His track record would indicate that he’s much better when 100 percent healthy, with a career slash line of .286/.327/.449. Those numbers are skewed by last year’s numbers but are still respectable overall. Gennett’s two best seasons came in 2017 and 2018 when he hit a combined 50 home runs and drove in 189 runs, earning an All-Star nod in the latter year.

As noted, the Cubs do not have a clear answer at second base, but several players will have the opportunity to claim it in Spring Training, including Nico Hoerner, David Bote, Daniel Descalso, and potentially Ian Happ or Robel Garcia. Hoerner would appear to be the front-runner, but the team has also recently discussed the notion of him moving to center field. The 22-year-old batted .282 in 20 games as a September call up last year and figures to be a critical piece of the future.

However, the Cubs have struggled to consistently put the bat on the ball and would greatly benefit from Gennett’s career 81.7 percent contact rate. His power with the Cincinnati Reds came as a bit of a surprise after hitting a career-high 14 home runs in 2016 when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s logged a career .982 fielding percentage, which falls right in line with the league average of .983.

The Cubs have been cash strapped for the second consecutive year, remaining idle as other teams continue to make splash signings. On Monday, it Gennett’s former team in the Reds who made the most noise when they signed former Cubs, Nicholas Castellanos, to a four-year deal. The Reds have had a tremendous offseason and figure to be the favorites for the division. However, the Cubs can still compete with a couple of bounce-back years from key players and consistency from role players.

Gennett would likely be an inexpensive signing, given his performance last year, but the upside is extraordinary, especially if he’s hitting 25 home runs per year. We’ll see what develops, but a one-year deal worth approximately $5 million would seem appropriate. It would allow Gennett to rebuild his worth for next offseason when the Cubs could potentially re-sign him or let him cash in elsewhere.