Shohei Ohtani is the star in everyone’s eyes when it comes to free agency for the 2024 season, including the Chicago Cubs.
Fans want it bad and the Cubs are rumored to be in the hunt for the modern-day Babe Ruth. Outside of that, the North Siders have other holes in the roster, including first base – hopefully to be filled via a signing or trade. With the Winter Meetings right around the corner, the stove is about to be as hot as it’s ever been.
Big names are there to be had and contribute as the championship-winning window is beginning to open in Chicago. An Ohtani signing would put the league on notice. A Rhys Hoskins signing or Pete Alonso trade would solidify a dominant infield and vastly improve the batting lineup.
There is no doubt the Cubs should be making one of these headline-grabbing moves in the next couple of months, hopefully sooner than that.
What may not get to the top of the page or move the needle as much are the moves the Cubs need to make to fill out and help give depth to a relatively young roster. We’ve talked about first base, but the Cubs have depth needs elsewhere – including catcher, third base, and potentially in the outfield. There are a couple of names out there that come to mind that could provide depth and veteran leadership in the Cubs clubhouse.
Former Chicago Cub knows a couple guys, could help depth at catcher.
Victor Caratini, you may remember, served as the backup and eventual personal catcher for Yu Darvish when he was on the Cubs from 2017-2020. He was eventually traded, along with Darvish, to the Padres in an unloading of salary when the Cubs were attempting to salvage the core. He then found himself in Milwaukee for the last two seasons, managed by Craig Counsell. If you recall and are keeping up with the recent developments, Counsell is now the manager of the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs currently have Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya as their listed catchers on the roster. Adding Caratini into the mix would relieve the pressure of Amaya having to be the everyday guy and providing Gomes rest days as he enters his age 36/37 season. Not to mention, Caratini has familiarity with Counsell and Counsell does with Caratini. These two have proven they work well together and can contribute to a roster ready to win.
Additionally, Caratini has a relationship still with Darvish. Darvish has a relationship with Ohtani. There is a world where signing Caratini could help the Cubs chances at landing the generational talent.
Cubs could complete Evan Longoria’s quest of a championship.
It seems like not that long ago rookie Evan Longoria was helping lead the Tampa Bay Rays to their first World Series appearance in 2008. 16 years later, he helped a young Arizona Diamondbacks squad reach the final round, looking to ride off into the sunset with a trophy in hand. It did not work out that way, but he also did not deny retiring or coming back.
Longoria seems to understand he is not the everyday player he was in the past when he was at the top of his game. But he understands his veteran leadership and at-bats in key situations could boost a team from on the fringe to in the hunt, as we saw last year in the desert. So if a championship is what he is seeking, why not come to Chicago for it?
As currently constructed, the Cubs have Christopher Morel, Nick Madrigal, and Patrick Wisdom as their represented depth at the hot corner. Morel has been dangled out there as trade bait to potentially land a star like Alonso or outfielder Juan Soto. Wisdom is confirmed coming back, but we saw just how cold his bat can get and his defense is not quite all star caliber. And we have yet to see Madrigal get serious playing time with the Cubs, but what we have seen isn’t giving much positive vibes. Why not sign Longoria to mentor the young players and teach this team how to be winners?
No, this is absolutely not Craig Kimbrel. Our beating hearts cannot take that anymore. What the Cubs need in the bullpen is consistency, durability, and clean innings. If Adbert Alzolay is going to be the closer, Counsell needs to have confidence that he can give him a clean slate to go get three outs in the ninth. A guy who can do that for the Cubs is David Robertson.
Daniel Palencia fell flat at the end of last year. Whether that is because of the positions David Ross put him in or him just not being able to execute doesn’t matter. Overall, the depth, health, and execution all fell short of what the Cubs needed to make a run in 2023. Jed Hoyer did vaguely take responsibility for this after the year was over. He now knows first-hand that the bullpen is going to win or lose games that matter down the stretch.
In the short time Robertson was a Cub in 2022, he was good enough to be sought after at the trade deadline as Hoyer decided to blow everything up and start over. The last couple of seasons, Robertson has posted very doable numbers with stints in Philadelphia, New York (Mets), and Miami. Counsell could find him as a reliable setup guy to comfortably hand the game over to the young closer in Alzolay.