Chicago Cubs: More veteran free agent options at second

Cubs could get some nice pop out of Jonathan Schoop

Cubs fans are probably fairly familiar with Jonathan Schoop because of his days as a Milwaukee Brewer down the stretch of 2018. Schoop was an All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017 and spent last season with the Detroit Tigers, where he hit .278/.324/.475 with eight home runs in 44 games. He missed all of September last year due to a wrist injury.

Why is he a good fit?

Schoop is one of the better power hitting second baseman in baseball. In 846 career games he has hit 141 home runs and sports a career .450 slugging percentage. He has four seasons of 20+ home runs including hitting a career-high 32 in 2017. While he does not possess the walking skills (.297 career OBP) he can still hit for a decent average and be productive with his power. His fielding is pretty decent, nothing overly special, but he gets the job done.

What would he cost? If they can bring him in on a one-year he would probably cost in the ballpark of $5-7 million tops. He signed a $6.1 million deal last year with the Tigers (before being prorated). Biggest question is if he will want to sign a one year deal where he is not necessarily playing every day considering he has been a starter for most of his career. It could depend on the demand for starting second baseman this offseason.

Cubs could buy low on someone like Brock Holt

Some fans were a bit surprised when former Red Sox All-Star infielder Brock Holt signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Brewers last offseason. He was eventually released and then signed with the Nationals in late August. Coming off that tough season, it is likely that he will come cheap and still potentially provide some value based on his overall resume.

Why is he a fit?

In addition to potentially coming cheap, his resume boasts that of a decent hitter. He is a career .268/.337/.369 hitter in 675 games. Not a power hitter, but good average and above average on-base percentage. Holt is a career 19.1 percent strikeout rate hitter, so he is not going to fan more than an average/slightly above average hitter.

He is traditionally a utility man who can play multiple positions and will not need to be a guy who starts 140+ games. Being a veteran bench/platoon/utility guy is likely going to be the role he plays in 2021.

It is worth noting that after getting canned by the Brewers last season, he hit .262/.314/.354 with the Nationals in 70 plate appearances.

Cubs: This two-time All-Star struggled at the dish this season

Last season was tough for Dee Strange-Gordon. With the Mariners he hit a career-low .200 in 33 games in a utility role in Seattle.

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Strange-Gordon, 32, has an overall good resume. He is a two-time All-Star who had the most hits in the majors in 2015 (205) and is the active leader in stolen bases (333). In 2015 he also won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Overall he is a career .286/.319/.360 hitter with a 14.9 percent strikeout rate.

Why is he a good fit?

While not an on-base machine, he gets his hits and puts the ball in play. The 14.9 percent strikeout rate is an indication of his ability to not miss the ball as much as the average player, which is typically around 20% per FanGraphs.

His 2020 season might have been rough but from 2014-2019 he hit a cumulative .294/.324/.373 in 788 games. Lets face it, a lot of solid/good players struggled in 2020 and it is not like Strange-Gordon is old. There is plenty reason to believe he has something left in the tank.

After the rough season he could come at good value. Spotrac has his value listed at around $2.1 million AAV going into 2021. If the Cubs want to add more contact hitters to their lineup with some speed, then Strange-Gordon could potentially be a good fit if he is willing to play certain roles.

Cubs: A reunion with the veteran Jason Kipnis might keep the position stable.

Last season Jason Kipnis came in on a minor league deal and ended up being a nice addition to the team. His veteran leadership was much appreciated by teammates and was a solid bat for much of the season.

Why is he a good fit?

Despite the .237 average, he posted a .341 OBP, .744 OPS and 102 wRC+ in 44 games last year. Like most of his career, he was very reliable at second base with the glove.

It would make sense that Kipnis would want to try to find a place where he can start, and that is not a guarantee with the Cubs. There is a decent number second baseman on the market with just so many teams looking for starting positions, so a reunion is not exactly impossible. Even if not incredibly likely. It is doubtful that he will command much money even after a decently solid year at the plate.

Bringing back a familiar face who showed decent production last year would be nice. Could the hometown opportunity convince him to return of the Cubs desired to bring him back? One can wonder.

Second base will be an interesting position for the Cubs moving forward. Hoerner’s development is still a work in progress and you can never have enough infield depth.