Chicago Cubs: Five remaining free agents team could still sign

Chicago Cubs: Hunter Pence

There were a few other outfield names I considered for this list. I considered Domingo Santana, whom the Seattle Mariners decided to non-tender despite having the potential to be a potent bat at least off the bench. I also considered Cameron Maybin, who quietly had a nice season in part-time duty with the New York Yankees.

However, for my final free agent to highlight, I decided to go with Hunter Pence, who debuted for the Astros all the way back in 2007 and has been an All-Star four times and placed in MVP voting four times. He’s collected 1,786 career hits and 242 home runs over stops in Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Texas.

The 36-year-old Pence signed with the Rangers on a minor league deal prior to the 2019 season, and he ended up making the All-Star team, posting a tremendous .910 OPS in 83 games. Pence is not a good defensive player, particularly at this stage of his career, but he showed last year that he still has a lot of life left in his bat. Pence has always played the game with lots of energy, which some might find annoying but could add some life to this Cubs team.

Health is also a concern, as he missed the final month of the 2019 season due to injury. Still, given his age, limitations, and health concerns, there’s a good chance that Pence might be willing to take another minor league deal for 2020. If so, the Cubs should at least check in. Pence could be a nice bench/part-time player, especially if Jason Heyward is willing to continue getting some time in center (Pence primarily plays right field).