Chicago Cubs Might Not Splurge This Offseason to Upgrade Roster

Will the Chicago Cubs remain somewhat quiet in free agency?

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Cody Bellinger (24) throws to first against the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are heading into the offseason looking to improve on what was a solid 2024 campaign, despite coming up short in the playoff race by a decent margin. 

Coming into the offseason, the Cubs are going to be trying to improve to keep pace in what has become a very strong National League. With the Milwaukee Brewers potentially taking a step back this offseason due to financial constraints, the opportunity for Chicago to strike might be coming up. 

One major decision that was looming for the Cubs was resolved recently, as Cody Bellinger decided to opt in to his contract for 2025. Since the slugger is set to make over $25 million next season, it might hamper the willingness of the organization to go out and spend big in free agency this offseason. 

However, Chicago must know that they are going to have to make upgrades if they want to contend, as their bullpen needs a lot of help and their lineup could use some more pop. 

Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report spoke about what the plan for the Cubs might be this winter. 

"It's not like we'll say, 'Now we're going to go for it.' We're trying to be consistent. The goal is to be one of the teams that's always trying to win and every year has that opportunity. That was Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaking earlier this year. My guess is that every Cubs fan remembers those words, or at least understands by now that the team's ownership has limits on what it is willing to invest in the roster. Even if there was a right time to go beyond those, it honestly may not be now. In the scheme of things, the Cubs arguably don't have any truly glaring needs.”

While it is still possible for Chicago to go after a slugger like Pete Alonso in free agency, who they have long desired, Bellinger opting into his contract may have altered those plans, as Alonso is going to demand well over $20 million a season. 

Free agency is always an option to make their upgrades, but the Cubs do have a lot of young players and prospects that they could move in order to facilitate a big trade. 

As a pretty solid team in 2024, Chicago should be pretty good once again next season even if major changes aren’t made. However, they should certainly explore the trade market for upgrades if they aren’t willing to spend a ton of money in free agency.