Chicago Cubs: Late in winter, will Jon Jay take a discount to return?

Chicago Cubs will be lucky to land Jay again in 2018

Last offseason, Jay needed to restock his value. With his performance in Chicago, he did just that. He excelled on both sides of the ball and will likely see interest from several teams.

Here are the Cubs’ biggest competition for the left-handed-swinging outfielder.

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• San Francisco Giants: San Francisco is hoping to recapture that even-year magic the Cubs stole away. They traded for both Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen already. But they still need a center fielder. Dyson seems like a likely fit. Cain may well be too expensive for their tastes. Who does that leave? Someone like Jay. He’s a veteran who knows how to win and could help get the Giants back to October in 2018.
• Baltimore Orioles: It seems like the O’s bargain shop in free agency each year. Because, Lord knows, they’re unwilling to pay for the big dogs. As great as Jay was – and as much as I love him – he doesn’t qualify as a ‘big dog.’

This is where it gets interesting

Really, these are the two teams that make a lot of sense. Seattle might dip their toes in the water once the market breaks, but Dyson could be a better fit given he finished off last season at Safeco with the Mariners.

Until the market at least starts to move, it’s more than difficult to peg where these guys will wind up. But that very situation makes a potential return to Chicago more feasible than it was even a few weeks ago.