Could These Chicago Cubs Moves Save Their Offseason?
There is a lot of negativity surrounding what the Chicago Cubs have done, or what they haven't done, this offseason.
After ownership and the front office proclaimed they would build a contending team heading into 2024, star player after star player have found themselves on teams other than the Cubs.
It's a frustrating start to this offseason, but there is still time for them to turn things around.
With high-profile players still available, Chicago could be the team that makes waves in the second half and ultimately puts together a roster that has them competing for a division title.
So, what could those moves be?
It has to be some sort of combination of landing Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Blake Snell.
Landing all three would be the ideal situation for the Cubs. That would cost them roughly $392 million in projected contracts from The Athletic, but it would give them an ace, a star slugger and elite defender at third base.
That is the ideal scenario.
With Chicago now expected to re-sign Bellinger, adding either Chapman or Snell would also provide a good offseason result.
Snell is coming off a National League Cy Young-winning season where he posted an ERA of 2.25. This was his best year since 2018 and the 30-year-old seems to still have a lot in the tank.
Having him at the top-of-the-rotation for years to come would help the Cubs be able to bring their talented pitching prospects along slowly as well.
What Chapman would bring is an elite level of defense that might make the left side of their infield the best in baseball for years to come. Paired with Dansby Swanson, there would be six Gold Gloves between the two.
Chicago has prioritized infield defense under this front office and Chapman would easily fit that mold.
And despite the negative connotation around his offense due to his below average batting average, the 30-year-old has never produced a season with an OPS+ below 100, indicating he's always been average or better than the average hitter.
Getting a combination of Bellinger and Snell or Bellinger and Chapman, would turn the perception around about what the Cubs have done this offseason.
Landing all three would have them in the conversation for putting together one of the best winters out of any team in the league.