The Cubs Holiday Wish List: Top 5 Team Needs |
The Cubs have already had a busy offseason. They have signed Eli Morgan and Matthew Boyd, signed catcher Carson Kelly, and acquired Cody Poteet in a salary dump trade of Cody Bellinger, and, oh yeah, traded Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and Cam Smith to the Astros in exchange for Kyle Tucker.
But with Christmas just finished up, we thought it would be a perfect time to discuss what’s on the Cubs' wish list this holiday season. To be transparent, No. 1 on this list would have been a star-caliber hitter — however, Santa Claus (or Jed Hoyer) delivered one via Kyle Tucker last week.
A year ago, the Cubs were committed to Christopher Morel to get an opportunity at third base. By the end of July, Morel had been the centerpiece of a trade that sent Morel and two prospects to Tampa Bay in exchange for third basemen Isaac Paredes. Paredes was disappointing in his first few months in Chicago, and the Cubs used him to propel Jed Hoyer to a big-ticket move. The Cubs traded Paredes and a pair of young players for Kyle Tucker — leaving the Cubs with a bit of a hole at third base. While the Cubs are committed to giving Matt Shaw a run at third base, even if he is excellent, he can’t be the only third baseman. While I don’t anticipate the Cubs splashing for Alex Bregman or Alec Bohm, a veteran third baseman would be a welcome addition to a Cubs team looking for a division title in 2025.
It’s no secret that one of the largest reasons that the Cubs failed to make the playoffs in 2024 was the backend of the bullpen. The Cubs blew over 25 saves during the season. They lacked a true closer, especially after Adbert Alzolay was injured early. The Cubs should be shopping around for a left-handed bullpen piece, something the Cubs bullpen desperately lacked in 2024 (players like AJ Minter or Andrew Chafin come to mind), and a veteran with closing experience (like Tanner Scott or Kyle Finnegan, who combined for 60 saves in 2024).
The Cubs, acquiring Kyle Tucker, answered the bell the Cubs needed to, and they finally plugged in a bonafide star to the lineup. However, the Cubs need some star production to pair with Tucker’s prowess. At the same time, this answer *could* come from within. Sieya Suzuki could feast from having Tucker in the lineup and emerge offensively as a star in the league. Does Michael Busch have another gear to his development? Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong have star potential. Are they ready to take the leap? Or do the Cubs need to look outside the organization to acquire a bat to play third base or catcher?
We mentioned that the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker. However, as it stands right now, Tucker is due to be a free agent after the 2025 season. The Cubs are happy to have Tucker, but the only potential knock on the trade is that the Cubs may only have him for one season. So, no. 2 on our list is for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs to get a deal done to keep Tucker in Chicago for an extended period.
This group of players is the pool in which the Cubs have been the most heavily rumored to be involved. The Cubs have an excellent top two in their starting rotation in Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. Jameson Taillon is a strong starter. The Cubs have some depth with Mathew Boyd, Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and prospect Cade Horton. But the Cubs want to acquire a player like Corbin Burnes or Roki Sasaki or trade for a pitcher like Dylan Cease or Luis Castillo to solidify what the Cubs hope is a playoff rotation. 3rd base help
Back of Bullpen
A middle-of-the-lineup bat
Kyle Tucker extension
Front-end starting pitcher
