The Free Agent Market is Going Fast...And the Cubs Still Have Some Big Needs

 

After the Mets signed three top free agents, the market certainly has not stopped, and is going at an incredible rate with teams signing and players rumored to be signing with a team in the next couple days.

We'll start with a couple new signings:

Blue Jays To Sign Yimi Garcia https://t.co/arIDRSzF3X pic.twitter.com/ZEkh9Xu0to

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 28, 2021

Free-agent RHP Corey Kluber in agreement with Rays on one-year deal, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic. Kluber, 35, missed more than three months with right shoulder strain before rejoining Yankees in late August. Finished with 3.83 ERA in 80 IP, including no-hitter.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 28, 2021

The pitchers are going fast, with Kluber, Wacha, Syndergaard, Matz, and others signing with teams.  While the only one I was disappointed that the Cubs did not get was Matz, it still shows the starting pitching market is in full steam.

Another thing to mention is that relievers are getting some hefty deals this offseason, with Garcia getting a 2-year contract worth $11M, and Loup and other relievers getting quite a bit of money. That means the Cubs might have to pay quite a bit as well to get one or two quality relievers, such as bringing back Chafin or Tepera.

However, that's not all with the pitching rumors, with Gausman, Scherzer and Ray also expected to sign with teams before the lockout.

Jays are pursuing Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray but field is big in both cases. Gausman could decide before likely Dec. 1 work stoppage @jonmorosi reported

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 28, 2021

Max Scherzer "Expected To Make His Decision" Before Lockout https://t.co/T9SDtyVMCQ pic.twitter.com/h6hCWuJBLK

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 28, 2021

Although I like Gausman and think he would be a good fit for the Cubs, it appears that the Cubs are not in the running for him, and if they were, other teams would likely be more aggressive in getting him.

The Cubs are now in a new rumor, however, with two-way player Michael Lorenzen.

RHP Michael Lorenzen not only wants a shot at being a starting pitcher in 2022, but also wants the opportunity to get regular at-bats as an outfielder. Wants to get on the Ohtani routine. The Rangers, Pirates, Cubs and Giants are all believed to have inquired.

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) November 28, 2021

I like this and don't like this all at the same time. I like the risk in getting Lorenzen as a pitcher, and trying to help develop him and get the full potential out of him. I like that he can pitch upper 90s consistently, because that kind of velocity is needed. What does concern me is his desire to play outfield and get ABs. Not that he shouldn't get that chance to do that, but the Cubs have quite a bit of outfield help right now and on the way.

They have Happ, Ortega, Heyward, Ramirez and Hermosillo right now, and Davis and Velazquez likely moving up this year. Adding another outfielder who wants to get at-bats when all these guys are competing for the outfield role seems unnecessary. So, although I like his pitching, my opinion is no.

Right now, I'm trying to adjust to the reality that the lockout will likely start in 3 days. That means the Cubs have only three days to sign free agents before all baseball activity ceases. And they have not signed a single free agent this offseason.

The market is going fast, there is three days until the lockout, and the Cubs still have some big needs. What are those needs?

• Third Base. The Cubs are in need of a consistent, reliable third baseman who doesn't strikeout much. Perhaps Seager will be out of the Cubs reach, but a second-tier lefty third baseman might be in the works. I can see a Wisdom- Fill-In-The-Blank platoon, and although it probably won't be Seager, as long as it's a player that can balance Wisdom out, I'm fine with it.
• Shortstop. The Corey Seager rumors have been drifting for a while now, and although I haven't given up on it, I'm getting unsure if that will actually happen. While that would be my preferred solution for shortstop, if that doesn't happen, they might have to settle with someone like Iglesias who can perhaps pair up with Hoerner.
• Back-up Catcher. And if Contreras gets traded, that turns into a THE CUBS NEED A CATCHER! The Cubs literally have no other MLB-ready catchers in the organization besides Contreras. And I don't think we want a repeat of 2021 where the Cubs go through 20 catchers (I'm exaggerating) until they find one that plays decent. That means that finding a quality back-up catcher, whether it be through trade or free agent, is a must. 
• Starting Pitching. Obviously a big one, since right now the Cubs have three soft-pitching, groundball producing pitchers (Miley, Hendricks, and Mills). They could use a pitcher like Stroman, Rodon or Gray to balance things out. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Rodon, even if he is a high-risk pitcher. Because when he's healthy, he can be nasty. Seriously, I'm worried the rotation will be like this past year's if they don't add more to it. 
• Bullpen. Right now, I think this is the least of their concerns. They will be having a lot of quality arms, especially those like Thompson, Marquez, etc. that don't make the rotation. However, adding a quality arm like Chafin might be a good idea.

That's a lot of needs. And while I don't expect the Cubs to fill every one of those needs before Dec. 1st, I would sure hope they would at least fill a half of them! Adding Stroman, a back-up catcher, and maybe Corey Seager would be a nice addition to chew on throughout the lock-out.

Secretly, I'm hoping they'll add someone so I can have a better idea what the 2022 Cubs will look like right now, unlike finding out a month before Opening Day.

Anyway, that's all for now, so get on the edge of your seat and get ready for a wild next couple days!