Cubs Free Agent Target: Ty France |
Over the past few days, the Chicago Cubs have been much more aggressive on both the free agent and trade front. That was to be expected once the holiday season came to an end, as the start of the New Year is when the second half of the offseason can officially begin.
Although the Caleb Thilebar deal is the main move that will be discussed from the last few days, everything started when the Cubs elected to trade for Vidal Brujan from the Miami Marlins. Brujan is a veteran utility option who plays a similar style to Miles Mastrobuoni and is expected to battle it out for one of those final bench spots. While grabbing Brujan, the Cubs also saw a fan-favorite prospect in Matt Mervis head to Miami, which adds to some questions heading into 2025. Mervis was once seen as the 1B of the future for this franchise, especially after breaking out for 36 homers and 119 RBIs in 2022. In the years since, Mervis continued to produce at the Minor League level but was never able to adjust to MLB pitching. That does happen a lot in today's game, and when you saw that happen to him last season, you knew the writing was on the walls for him to be traded at some point. Now that the trade has gone through, some lingering effects could come from it, and one of those effects is a topic that no one is talking about. After it was announced that Michael Busch would be the team's starting first baseman to begin the season, Cody Bellinger was traded to the New York Yankees. That alone ended any controversy about whether Bellinger would remain on this team and, if he did, where the plan to play him would be. As much as the deal made sense then, Bellinger offered the Cubs some defensive versatility, especially regarding 1B. With him no longer in the picture, Busch is the only first baseman on the current roster, and some fans are wondering who will be backing him up this season. Mervis was the one guy who could've been that guy had he been able to hit MLB pitching, but with that no longer being an option, you could see Moises Ballesteros be given a chance this spring. Ballesteros had by far the best overall offensive season in the Cubs system last season and is ready to hit MLB pitching. His biggest issue is that he does not have a true position right now, and unless the Cubs can guarantee him everyday at-bats, seeing him on the opening day roster seems unlikely, thus taking a backup role out of the equation. That is where a guy like Ty France could come into play as he is not only a current free agent but would be the perfect addition to back up Busch at first. There is no question that Busch is going to be the go-to guy at first this season, but until he can hit lefties more consistently, you still have to consider sitting him against lefties. France is not only a right-handed hitter that could give the Cubs a nice lefty/righty platoon system, but he has a history of hitting left-handed pitching well, which makes it a win-win situation for both parties. France may not be the top name on the free agent market and may not be a name that any Cubs fans are willing to discuss. Still, there was a time when France was one of the game's best 1B, as he showed his worth during the 2021-22 seasons with the Seattle Mariners. During those seasons, France combined to hit .283 across 292 games, but he did so with excellent middle-of-the-order production. France connected for 38 homers in those two seasons and drove in 156 runs. That was backed by his career-best 20-homer, 83 RBI season in 2022 as he was starting to emerge as one of the best overall hitters in the game. Like all young players, France went through his share of struggles, and after reaching the peak of his career in 2022, he has come crashing down since. Despite playing in a career-high 158 games in 2023, France saw his average fall to .250 while his power numbers plummeted to 12 homers and 58 RBIs. Playing in Seattle was a big reason for that when you look at how difficult it is to hit, but with a declining walk rate and an increasing strikeout rate, you could see more struggles coming. France continued his struggles in 2024, starting the season with Seattle before being traded to Cincinnati. Throughout the season, France struggled to put the ball in play as his average continued to fall to .234, but with 13 homers and 52 RBIs, he, at the very least, gave both teams some production. France started to show more signs of life after the trade, and that alone could be worth a short-term deal to bring him in as Busch's backup. France is no longer on the ascent as a premium first baseman in Major League Baseball but still deserving of a spot on a Major League bench. The Cubs could give him that spot, and it would be an excellent fit for him and the entire Cubs roster.
