Skip to main content

Which Top FA Outfielders Would Be A Good Fit for the Cubs?



 Let's start with some overall news and then get into our subject for today.

Noah Syndergaard signed a 1-year deal with the Angels today. Kind of an interesting move- seems like they want to get Trout and Ohtani a World Series victory, maybe?


The Blue Jays have extended their trade-deadline pickup Jose Berrios...

 

Looks like the Mets finally have their GM after interviewing scores of candidates. I was wondering if they were going to start interviewing fans. 


MLB's NL Manager of the Year goes to Gabe Kaplan from the Giants

 

That's all the major news there is. Nothing big from the Cubs today, though we might be seeing some action soon on the market for the Cubs.

Which of the top free agent outfielders would be a good fit for the Cubs? I'm going to name 7 outfielders and we'll discuss each briefly.

  • Kyle Schwarber, LF (29) The Cubs surprisingly let him go over this past offseason, and he did very well this season with the Nationals and Red Sox, batting .266/.374/.554. Although it would be nice to have him back, and his slugging is what the lineup needs, it seems like Schwarber and the Cubs have parted ways, and it is doubtful he will come back.
  • Eddie Rosario, LF (30) He's a lefty, and lefty power is one of the things the Cubs' lineup needs, and Rosario is a more well-rounded kind of player. He can slug, doesn't strikeout much, and also makes good contact. Overall in 2021 he batted .259/.305/.435 in time with Cleveland and Atlanta. I can see him being a possibility, seeing his good 18% K rate, but the Cubs might also want to focus on a guy that is mainly a lefty slugger. Not that Rosario wouldn't be a good pick-up for the Cubs, I'm just not sure if he is exactly what they are looking for.
  • Starling Marte, CF (33) If the Cubs did want him, they'd face some good competition, but he'd be a valuable player. He batted .310/.383/.458 with the Athletics and Marlins. So, not a slugging kind of player, but a great contact hitter and great speed resulting in stolen bases. The Cubs might want to get him, but I don't think they'll be willing to compete against other teams in pricing and all.
  • Chris Taylor, CF (31) He's more than an outfielder, he can play 2nd and SS as well. He batted .254/.344/.438 with the Dodgers, and he'd be a valuable player to any team. But to the Cubs? He can hit, for sure, with lots of base hits and homers, but the strikeout rate can be a little high, reaching to 30% in his career. Would the Cubs want Taylor? If they end up getting Corey Seager, I'd say no. He'd have no place at 2nd or SS, and he'd end up getting the every-day start in the outfield.
  • Nick Castellanos, RF (30) Cubs fans remember Castellanos, for sure, and I know he can hit in Chicago. He batted .309/.362/.576 with the Reds, and he fits exactly what the Cubs need. A guy who can slug, a guy with a low strikeout rate, and a guy that is already familiar with the Cubs. Expensive? Of course. But the Cubs have money, and I'd like to see them sign some position players to longer-term deals this offseason. In my eyes, Castellanos would be an ideal candidate.
  • Jorge Soler, RF(30) He's familiar to Cubs fans as well, but I don't think it would be as good as a fit. He batted .223/.316/.432 with the Royals and Braves, and most of those bad stats came from his time with the Royals. I can't really see him coming back to the Cubs, and I also don't think he's the kind of guy the Cubs are targeting. 
So, If you can tell, I think Castellanos would be the best fit, although if the right deal came up, or if Castellanos was taken, then Rosario would be a good second choice. 4-5 year deal with Castellanos? Sounds good to me. He can play RF, or he also could DH, if that is an option in 2022. If he is their DH, then Heyward (who probably won't get traded), will continue playing RF.

Anyway, that's all for today, so y'all have a good week!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Articles Coming Again to Cubbies Gazette?

It's been awhile Cubs fans. I've been pretty active on Twitter, so if you haven't yet, give me a follow there. There's plenty of Cubs blogs out there, with my personal favorite being Bleacher Nation. So I don't intend to just repeat or say the same things others are saying, but I want to provide my thoughts on certain things that might differ or be new to Cubs fans.  Basically, I want to write brief articles on different Cubs related topics that might be new or original. This is just a hobby for me, so don't expect articles every single day. I'll also be sharing some thoughts of others from Twitter that I found interesting. If you're interested in writing for Cubbies Gazette, DM me on Twitter or email me at cubbiesgazette@gmail.com. Thanks for all of your support on Twitter, and as always, GO CUBS GO!
1 comment
Read more

AFL Update, Cubs Injuries Update, and Other Cubs Tidbits

Just a quick update: I'll be uploading more frequently now, but quite a few will be shorter articles with a few quick updates. Velazquez is unbelievable, if you haven't heard anything about him... ⚠️CAN’T. BE. STOPPED.⚠️ Nelson Velazquez destroys his league leading 9th homer of the season. The @cubs prospect is shooting you the tannings ⬆️ @MLBPipeline @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/96kLpub5Ny — MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 12, 2021  Here's Velazquez's overall stats for this year: Feels like the right time to check in on Nelson Velazquez’ 2021 (A+/AA/AFL), which is now 125 games and 533 plate appearances. 289 AVG 363 OBP 542 SLG 29 2B, 2 3B, 29 HR 80 R, 93 RBI 8.8 BB% / 30 K% 17 / 20 SB — Cubs Prospects - Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) November 12, 2021 More AFL star players who just happen to be Cubs...    Cubs prospect Andy Weber led the charge in Mesa’s 11-run comeback with a grand slam and his fourth AFL triple: https://t.co/0GHf62SkxO...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stroman Recruiting Correa, David Bote and Jason Heyward Projections, and Other Cubs Tidbits

  With the news that the Cubs have "a serious interest" in Correa, a lot of Cubs fans (and players) have been going berserk about potentially getting Correa. That includes new Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has yet to play one game with the Cubs but is actively recruiting. See what he said here: Need you in Chicago my dawg! @TeamCJCorrea https://t.co/JihQciRvai — Marcus Stroman (@STR0) December 22, 2021 That's right, and don't stop saying it! Correa playing in a Cubs uniform would be fantastic, and I don't want to be pessimistic, but we still have to wait until this "lockout" is over...and then the Cubs can sign him. David Bote Projections David Bote had a very bad year in 2021, like I wrote about a few weeks ago here:  What Is David Bote's Role With the 2022 Cubs?   and he ended up 64 wRC at the end of the season. Going into the 2021 season, he was projected to hit pretty well, but he really underperformed, batting .201/.280/.340 with a 68 wRC b...
1 comment
Read more