Chicago Cubs Predicted To Sign Cy Young Award Winner in MLB Free Agency

The Chicago Cubs could go land the left-hander but their offense should be the priority.

Nov 8, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Around Major League Baseball, many have made it seem like the Chicago Cubs will add an arm or two to their rotation.

That wouldn't be the worst idea, but the front office must understand that every move they make on the mound has to be after they sign a few of the top hitters available. If the Cubs enter the 2025 campaign with the same lineup they had last season, they shouldn't expect much to change. 

Pitching is essential, and it often helps win a World Series. However, when a team ranks below average in nearly every significant offensive category, it's tough to win at the highest level with that.

That could become an issue again for this ball club, as it was so bad at points throughout the campaign that they couldn't win games at a competent rate even with quality starts. 

However, that doesn't mean they should avoid adding a starter or two, as there will be multiple available who could come in and give them great innings.

Among those include Blake Snell, who R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports named Chicago a fit for.

"Snell recovered from a truncated spring training and a pair of early trips to the injured list to accumulate the fourth-best ERA+ of his career. That doesn't sound impressive at first blush, but consider the circumstances and remember he's a two-time Cy Young Award winner. Snell still has the same basic profile that he did this time last year, when he was embarking on his first foray into free agency: he has elite bat-missing ability, yet some teams will scoff at his inefficiency. Fair enough, we suppose. Snell continues to produce year in and year out all the same. At some point, you have to just tip your cap and accept that that's the way it's going to be. In turn, here's hoping he lands the long-term deal that he was denied 12 months ago."

Snell has been linked to the Cubs a bit over the past few months, which does and doesn't come as much of a surprise. On one hand, signing the two-time Cy Young Award winner wouldn't be the worst outcome. There's a reason he's expected to have a heavy market, as when he's at his best, he's one of the top arms in baseball.

However, as previously mentioned, there wouldn't be much reason for Chicago to sign another left-hander. They're already left-handed heavy in their rotation, so signing a right-hander would be the better decision.

Either way, the offense is the most important this winter, and the front office needs to understand that. If they could land the Seattle native and sign a few offensive guys, they'd get an A+.