What is left for the Cubs to do this offseason? |
When the 2024-2025 offseason began, the Cubs had several questions and holes that they wanted to address to retool this roster. The biggest and most significant hole was finding a middle-of-the-order bat, which they did by trading for Kyle Tucker.
Not only will he produce in a big way, but with Cody Bellinger being traded to the Yankees a few days after that trade, his acquisition is even more important than it initially looked like. The next area they wanted to address was adding to their starting pitching, and with Matthew Boyd coming aboard on a two-year deal, he is essentially replacing Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs still have some questions about the back end of their rotation, but with at least five or six options, they can play around a little bit during Spring. The final and most crucial piece for the Cubs to address this offseason was adding to their bullpen and finding a bonafide closer capable of locking down games. Trading for Eli Morgan was their first of several bullpen moves, but it wasn't until Sunday when the Cubs landed their closer as they traded for Ryan Pressly. Although Pressly isn't as good as some of the free-agent closers that this team missed out on, he is still a proven closer nonetheless and will take over the ninth-inning duties for the Cubs. Those three moves alone addressed some of the holes this team needed to fill, but with less than three weeks until the start of Spring, there is still some work left to do on this roster. The question becomes, what else does this team need to do at this point? Theoretically speaking, Jed Hoyer will continue looking for bullpen help, as several good options remain on the open market. While adding a closer may be out of the realm, the Cubs could still use one more arm in the middle of the pen, giving the Cubs plenty of flexibility. That could be a guy like Brooks Raley to add another lefty into the mix, as that is the one area they continue to lack in the pen. When you look at the starting rotation, the addition of Boyd offsets what Hendricks did a season ago, but apart from his addition, the Cubs haven't done much. Certainly, Colin Rea was added to the mix, but is he a better solution than Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, or Ben Brown? You also have to consider Shota Imanaga and/or Jamison Taillon taking a step back this season, which could affect the team's overall success this season. Most fans would love for this team to add Jack Flaherty, the name that comes to mind. However, we are approaching February, and Flaherty is still on the open market despite putting together one of his better seasons last year. He has a history of shoulder injuries, which could explain why he is still available, but even on a three-year deal, it's surprising no one has picked him up. Given this front office's thinking, it seems unlikely that the Cubs will fork over the cash for Flaherty, but there are other starting rotation options. The Cubs recently scouted Max Scherzer, who could be had on a one-year deal, and Nick Pivetta, who may be looking at a multi-year contract. The most likely route for the Cubs to add to their staff would be on the trade front, where the Mariners would continue to be the team in discussion. Although the Nico Hoerner trade talks have died down a bit, he is still being linked to Seattle, and if those talks continue, you can expect them to discuss starting pitching at some point. A final addition could be in the lineup itself, and this is where most fans are split. Yes, Tucker's addition is a massive addition to this team, but with Bellinger now in New York, this team needs at least another bat in its lineup. Adding Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman would be the perfect solution, but that doesn't seem likely, given this team's financial constraints. It's encouraging to hear the Cubs and Bregman have engaged in contract talks, as that shows the Cubs are looking to add at least one more productive bat to the lineup. Without getting the fans' hopes up, the Cubs will eventually add to their lineup, but that will most likely be the bench role players, as they have done in the past few weeks. Whether it be deals similar to Jon Berti or the classic minor league deals Hoyer likes to put together, the Cubs aren't done adding pieces. As Spring is around the corner, it becomes a matter of which part of this roster they view as the most important to add and how they go about adding to it. "They're not done yet," @MLBBruceLevine says of the Cubs searching for more bullpen help after acquiring Ryan Pressly from the Astros.
The Cubs have interest in Ryne Stanek and David Robertson.
Listen to full segment: https://t.co/yvXmbctOSU pic.twitter.com/wQ2jMGKSdU
