Exploring Third Base Options for Cubs After Eugenio Suarez Trade

With Eugenio Suarez being traded, the Chicago Cubs have lost another option to play third base in 2024.

With questions heading into the offseason about who's going to play third base for the Chicago Cubs, answers might've gotten more difficult on Wednesday.

The Seattle Mariners have traded Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala.

With that being a done deal, who will the Cubs go after to man the hot corner? Could we see a prospect called up? Will they make a blockbuster deal? 

Here are two options for the Cubs to explore.

Matt Chapman

The star third baseman might be the best available player at this position and will likely be someone that most teams have their eyes on. There are some questions when it comes to Chapman regarding the amount of money he's looking for and if he can produce enough offensively to warrant that contract.

There might not be a better fielder at the hot corner than Chapman, however, and the bat has shown some life for parts of his career. 

Last season, he finished with a 4.4 WAR after hitting .240/.330/.424 with 17 home runs. This was the third-most valuable season of his career after posting a 7.8 WAR in 2019 and 7.6 WAR in 2018.

If Chapman can get back to hitting 25-plus home runs along with his elite defense, Chicago won't have a better option to pursue this offseason.

Brandon Drury

The versatile infielder can play either third base or second base. While the name won't excite Cubs fans, he's played decent baseball recently. Drury hit .262/.306/497 with 26 home runs in 2023 for the Los Angeles Angels. 

If Chicago wants to go the cheaper route and find someone who can produce offensively, Drury could be their guy.

The Cubs would have to make a trade for the infielder. Drury is under contract with the Angels for the 2024 season with a contract of $8.5 million. Los Angeles could also be looking to lower their payroll as they continue to pursue re-signing Shohei Ohtani.

With Drury a free agent in 2025, Chicago might not have to give up that much capital to acquire him from the Angels. He could be a legitimate option for the Cubs via the trade market.