Three Chicago Cubs free agents who could be back in 2020

While many believe several beloved and talented Chicago Cubs stalwarts from the last few years have seen their last days in blue pinstripes, there’s reason to believe a few might just be back for a reunion tour in 2020.

The Chicago Cubs are currently stuck in between two worlds: clinging to 2016 and pushing forward. There’s a fine line between hanging onto those talented commodities that made you successful in the past and also knowing when to cut bait with those same possibly empty-tanked pieces that are now detrimental to your continued success.

Some have called this the “winner’s trap.” The idea that you’ve won in the past and you have the pieces to win leads many to keep rolling the same group of players out there in the hopes that at some point, something might spark and then stick for good.

The Cubs have had many talented players in the last several seasons, but the bottom line is that you can’t stand still in any facet of life, especially professional sports. panta rhei, as Greek philosopher Heraclitus once posited – everything flows and everything changes. If the Cubs don’t change amidst the constant flux of the league and game, they will be passed by.

While the Cubs have changed and turned over many pieces from that 2016 World Series team, many still remain. As has been discussed ad nauseum by media outlets and here at Cubbies Crib, it would seem one of the core members of the Cubs might be traded in an attempt to spark and jump-start this process of change.

The idea would be that whatever we’d get back for said trade chip would make the team better going forward, whether that means in 2020 or beyond. Fans may not enjoy that idea, but then again, a consistent top three payroll in baseball should mean that “windows” never have to close.

So, if we can’t spend a whole lot of money, how do we get better or fill out the roster with quality pieces without free agents or crazy trades? Glad you asked- read on for one possible direction.