After stealing arguably a top-three manager in baseball, Craig Counsell, from their division rival Milwaukee Brewers, the 2023 offseason started with a boom. Then, they re-signed Silver Slugger Cody Bellinger, and the Chicago Cubs had high expectations coming into the 2024 season. However, the Cubs will finish short of the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years.
The Cubs heartbreakingly ended 2023 by dropping five of their last six games and missing the final wild-card spot by one game. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging season for a rebuilding team. In addition to Bellinger’s award, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson all won NL Gold Glove awards.
Coming into the offseason, manager David Ross’ position was up in the air, as he had a losing record and missed the playoffs again. In a surprise move, the Cubs not only fired Ross but hired Counsell, who was not expected to leave his former organization.
After an exciting early start to the offseason, the free agent period opened and the Cubs could sign new talent. The Cubs, and almost every other team in the MLB, had their eyes on Japanese superstar DH/pitcher Shohei Ohtani. They were reported suitors, projected as one of the three teams with a good shot at landing Ohtani.
After a very long process of visits kept under wraps and wild rumors, Ohtani stayed close to home and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed a record-breaking contract worth $700 million over 10 years. The Cubs quickly moved their focus to Japanese ace Shota Imanaga.
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The move paid off, but while the 31-year-old rookie was phenomenal, the rest of the team looked uninspiring. The bullpen struggled and suffered through injuries for most of the first half. The defense, one of the best the year prior, was shaky coming out of the gate. But the biggest blow was the offensive regression.
The season isn’t over, but the Cubs were eliminated earlier than they were a season ago, which isn’t a good sign. They did secure a winning season, meaning they will win more games than they will lose.
Although it was a disappointing season, there are things to look forward to next season, especially with a good winter. But what would make the offseason “good?”
At the very least, the Cubs need another pitcher, preferably a starter. The Cubs have a great top-of-the-rotation with Imanaga and Steele, but the depth drops off after that. Jameson Taillon has been solid but is only under contract until 2026. Kyle Hendricks is on an expiring contract and more than likely won’t be back. The Cubs have a plethora of young pitching talent, but most aren’t ready to go yet.
One option to help the starting rotation is Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried. The two-time All-Star has a career ERA of 3.10 and a 1.17 WHIP. The veteran lefty has 150 starts through eight seasons under his belt and is only 30 years old.
Another option for a starting pitcher is Baltimore Oriole Corbin Burnes. Burnes was with Counsell in Milwaukee for most of his major league career, so there’s familiarity. Burnes has a career ERA of 3.19 and a career WHIP of 1.066. This move would make sense for both sides; the Cubs would get a dependable starter, and Burnes would reunite with his former manager.
Another need that the Cubs could address is the closer. The Cubs are toward the bottom of the league in saves this season and have no one solidified in that role for next year. One free agent option could be Kenley Jansen, who has 27 saves this season and 447 over his 15-year career. Another option is bringing back Craig Kimbrel, who was with the squad from 2019-2021 before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. Kimbrel had 23 saves this season and 440 over his 15-year career.
The Cubs are also in desperate need of a true superstar. They need a player that the league puts on the front of every graphic and shows up in every commercial. Luckily for the Cubs, a guy like that will be available in the offseason. Juan Soto, current New York Yankee, will hit the open market this winter. Soto will demand a large sum of money, something the Cubs don’t often hand out.
However, if the Cubs want to improve, they will have to do just that. Soto has played seven seasons and has four All-Star selections. His career OPS is .954, which is 23rd best all-time and third best among active players. The craziest stat is his age. Soto is only 25 years old and has played in the MLB since the age of 19. Soto is exactly the player the Cubs need to kickstart the next decade of winning baseball.
While his price tag will be high, he is worth the investment. Add a couple of pitchers and another catcher, and the Cubs could be the favorite to win the Central next year. While it is ironic that this is pretty much the same thing everyone was saying about the Cubs around this time last year, general manager Jed Hoyer’s seat may be getting hot enough to finally make a big splash.
@ben_some16
