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.

Chicago Cubs: One more year for Pedro?

Let’s be honest. Pedro Strop (142 ERA+) is one of the best Cubs relievers ever. Other than Hall of Famer Lee Smith (134 ERA+), who else would you put in the discussion from the last 30 years as a Cub?

Strop has been nothing short of spectacular as a Cub, which makes what happened this past year (2-5, 4.97 ERA) tough to swallow for fans and the team alike. Strop was just not himself. Whether it was injuries or a downward career trend due to age, no one knows for sure, but why wouldn’t the Cubs roll the dice on him if it doesn’t break the bank. After all, it’s not like the Cubs have a superfluous glut of proven major-league relievers at the moment.

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MLBTR lists Strop as the 49th best free agent target, and estimates he will sign a one-year, $5 million deal. If the Cubs can get him to come back to Chicago for three or four million, and they think a fresh start to 2020 will produce a more Strop-like year, then this is a total no-brainer.

Since 2014, Strop has pitched in 338 innings in 374 regular season games, striking out 383 with a 2.90 ERA. Strop has been the most consistent and dependable bullpen piece for a club that has completely turned over their pen virtually every single year since he showed up.

He is also a positive role model in the clubhouse and would provide a steady and energetic presence in the bullpen as well. Granted, Strop’s 2019 season could have been a harbinger of things to come, but at three or four million, I’m willing to give him a chance to come back healthy and do his thing.

Chicago Cubs: Morrow feels loved in Chicago despite injuries

The signing of Brandon Morrow has left a $21 million bad taste in many Cubs fans’ mouths. For good reason, Morrow’s injuries have basically left the Cubs without a closer for the better part of two seasons. His injuries also pressed the Cubs to sign Craig Kimbrel in June, a decision that seemed necessary at the time but whose ultimate worth is still ambiguous at best.

While some may say it’s heretical to even consider bringing Morrow back, if he’s interested in re-upping on a minor league deal because the Cubs treated him so well, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? Bringing Morrow back on a risk free incentive-based contract could be just what the doctor ordered- hopefully that same doctor worked wonders on his right elbow.

Of course, there wouldn’t be much of an expectation that Morrow would be the dominant guy he was at the beginning of the 2018 season, but at the league minimum, the risk would be completely mitigated. The fact that Morrow would want to come back to Chicago out of a sense of loyalty says a lot about the organization, despite the disappointing end to both the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

By re-upping veterans Zobrist, Strop, and Morrow, the Cubs would be keeping important leadership from the last few seasons to help steer the team into the ever-changing future. Rather than looking at bringing them back as a negative “trap,” perhaps the low-risk/high-reward inexpensive signings means fans should expect another successful year despite stepping into the same river for a second (or fifth) time.

If the Cubs can sign these three veterans for under 10 million dollars for 2020, it should be a no-brainer for Theo Epstein and the front office to get it done. Whether it completely works out with the three all producing or not, it shouldn’t break the bank for a team that supposedly only wants to spend pennies.