Chicago Cubs Offseason: Five free agents this team doesn’t need

Chicago Cubs don’t need to change the landscape

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani is the prize of the offseason in Major League Baseball. The man deals 102 mph of nastiness regardless if it’s his fifth or 95th pitch. He possesses Babe Ruth-esque finesse from the left side of the plate.

While every young man playing stickball from Alabama to Okinawa dreams of playing for the Dodgers, only the American League is empowered to allow pitchers to turn around and DH in their spot. If the Texas Rangers fail to land Otani, expect a mid-market team like the Seattle Mariners to emerge for the Nippon sensation.

Looking at the Chicago Cubs, the team doesn’t need a two-way player. Not with an outstanding free agent class just a year away and a young core that remains an envy of the rest of the league.Besides, rarely will Theo overspend to land an unproven asset coming off an injury like Otani.

Chicago Cubs could better allocate their funds for pitching

C.C. Sabathia has put together a long run of success in the bigs. From his days in Cleveland to a postseason push with Milwaukee, he’s done it all. Most recently, of course, the veteran southpaw played a key role in the rotation of the New York Yankees.

Sabathia comes off a 27-start 2017 campaign in which he pitched to a 3.69 earned run average for the Bronx Bombers. His FIP looked a bit more eye-popping at 4.49, but he still eats innings and takes the ball every fifth day as needed. Heading into his age-38 season, he’s heading into the sunset stage of his career, but brings valuable experience to the table.

If the Cubs weren’t hyper-focused on building sustainable success for years to come, I’d say Wrigley would be an awesome place for C.C. to retire. He’s an inning-eating workhorse that served the Yankee organization well for years. However, the Cubs should scoff at any phone calls from Jay Z regarding Sabathia.

Chicago Cubs don’t need another outfielder

We all remember Jose Bautista’s clutch walk-off for the Toronto Blue Jays a few years back. It emerged as one of the most memorable moments of the 2015 postseason. But, after a disappointing 2017 performance, there are a lot of questions surrounding the outfielder.

Yes, he’s a walk-generating machine who was once formidable with the lumber. The Toronto great floundered last season from the leadoff position. He batted just .203 last season and hasn’t eclipsed the .250 mark in a few years. After his run of six-straight All-Star appearances snapped after 2015, things have been trending downward in a big way.

The Cubs’ need for a respectable leadoff presence may be limited with this year’s class of free agents. With that said, Bautista will receive employment from one lucky team shedding players to cut cap space. Miami? Maybe not, but it won’t be Wrigleyville.

Chicago Cubs’ mentality doesn’t fit in with this move

While Aaron Judge was smacking everything put before him in 2017, J.D. Martinez nonchalantly provided 45 souvenirs of his own between Detroit and Arizona. His offensive prowess is undeniable; it was evident during his rise through the Tigers organization.

In just 62 games with the Diamondbacks after the deal, Martinez smacked 29 long-balls. He added a big bat to protect Paul Goldschmidt, leading Arizona to a postseason berth. His 1.066 OPS marked the best mark of his career to-date. And it comes at a perfect time, as he hits free agent ahead of the 2018 season.

However, he’s a defensive work-in-progress. And Chicago’s talented young nucleus is defensive-minded to the core. I see no fathomable reason for Martinez’s name to come up, especially since he’s another Boras-represented player seeking $200 million.

Chicago Cubs don’t have a need for another infielder

The Cubs are looking for someone to set the table with consistency. Some say Dee Gordon could be an option, although Derek Jeter and the new Marlins ownership would expect something respectable in return.

Chicago tried Darwin Barney once; his defense isn’t bad, but his hitting simply isn’t consistent enough to spend roster pieces on should someone ask for Addison Russell or Javier Baez.

The Cubs’ front office knows smart spending this offseason will be vital as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras will command pay boosts in coming years. That’s not to say Theo and Jed aren’t looking to add high-quality free agents.

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But it’ll need to be done with the future in mind and an impending luxury tax penalty, especially if signing Alex Cobb or Zach Britton is priority number one, and someone of Dee Gordon’s caliber to leadoff.