Chicago Cubs Should Pursue This Pending Free Agent This Offseason

It's never too early to take a look at which players the Chicago Cubs should target in MLB free agency this winter.

The Chicago Cubs are currently sitting in the second Wild Card spot, much to many experts' surprise.

Sure, the Cubs made some great moves this winter such as signing shortstop Dansby Swanson and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger.

But Chicago wasn't "supposed" to compete for the postseason just yet. The window of contention wasn't supposed to be open. But here we are. 

Whether or not the Cubs make the postseason this year is irrelevant to their future plans. The core is in place and now it's go time.

As such, they need to be thinking ahead to their next big signing, the one that will help propel them from a Wild Card contender to divisional champions and an NL force.

Third baseman Matt Chapman would be the perfect fit for this club.

For the last few seasons Chicago has been trying to figure out their corner infield situation. Jeimer Candelario is helping taking care of the problem following his acquisition at the MLB trade deadline. But he is a free agent after this season.

Chapman, who is 31, would make complete sense. He is a slugger who can rip the cover off of the ball, even if he does have high strikeout numbers. But he can make up for the whiffs with his Gold Glove defense at the hot corner. 

On the back end of his prime, Chapman may be able to be signed for a shorter deal than the current fad of these megadeals are offering. Perhaps a four-year, $60 million deal gets it done.

That puts Chapman in Chicago for the entirety of the contention window and solves a problem for the Cubs in which the solution has eluded them for seasons. 

It would be wise for the Cubs to do their due diligence on a talent like Chapman this winter.