3 players the Chicago Cubs need to trade for during the offseason
By Todd Welter
The Chicago Cubs pulled off the biggest move of the offseason so far when they hired manager Craig Counsell.
The Cubs must continue that momentum this offseason with more big acquisitions to take ownership of the NL Central for the rest of the decade.
The Cubbies are rumored to be one of the top two landing spots for the best free agent on the market, Shohei Ohtani.
All the feedback that @MLBBruceLevine has gotten from his sources indicates that the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will be a showdown between the Dodgers and Cubs.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) November 18, 2023
Listen to what Levine had to say on Inside the Clubhouse about Ohtani's free agency: https://t.co/TMohQhJzuE pic.twitter.com/MwYLnOAXL1
Even if the Chicago Cubs win the Ohtani sweepstakes, they still have holes in their roster to fill.
Third base needs to be upgraded. Nick Madrigal reclaimed his major-league career, but he provides no power for a position that demands it.
The club could also upgrade centerfield and first base if Cody Bellinger walks in free agency. The starting rotation and bullpen can always use more talent.
In case owner Tom Ricketts put the brakes on free agent spending, baseball operations president Jed Hoyer can always go through the trade market to build up a roster that is capable of burying the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals in the standing. He might even build a roster that is ready to make a deep push into October.
Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins are armed with a deep farm system to pull off some major deals.
Nine of the Cubs’ top 10 prospects are at or above Double-A and some are knocking on the big-league door.
Christopher Morel and Peter Crow-Armstrong could be part of a trade package to land a star since both might be blocked at their best position with the major-league team.
They might not have to move those two promising players as they have plenty of depth in their prospect pool to get back one of these players they should try to acquire.