Chicago Cubs Could Reunite with a Familiar Face in Free Agency

The Chicago Cubs need a power hitter in free agency.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are set to enter the offseason after missing the postseason for the fourth year in a row with an 83-79 record. Improvements must be made, and there's one former Cub that the team could be due for a reunion with in order to bolster their lineup.

In a recent article, Zach Pressnell of FanSided named three Arizona Diamondbacks impending free agents who 'definitely will not be back' with the team in 2025, and Pederson found his way on the list following a very solid 2024 season in which he hit .275 with an OPS of .908, a slugging percentage of .515, and an on-base percentage of .393 along with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs.

While Pederson does have a $14 million option to return to Arizona, something the Diamondbacks would do in a heartbeat, he can likely earn more than that on the open market if he chooses to decline and test free agency once again. If he does do the most likely and opt-out of the deal, the Cubs have to be a team that is a potential suitor for him.

For one, Pederson would not cost what other power hitters on the market such as Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander will command if the Cubs want a solid option with a demonstrated ability to hit home runs but don't want to break the bank on one of the top names on the market. Pederson has spent time in Chicago as well, signing a 1-year, $7 million deal prior to the 2021 season, but the team traded him to Atlanta at the deadline after he played 73 games for the Cubs. From there, Pederson spent two years in San Francisco before signing the one-year mutual option deal with Arizona last offseason.

As a player with a ton of big game experience going back to his seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 32-year-old Pederson has proven that he is clearly still capable of helping an MLB roster. Assuming he does in fact hit free agency, the Cubs would be foolish to not at least check in and see if he would be interested in running it back in Chicago.