Chicago Cubs: 3 offseason moves that won’t break the bank

Chicago Cubs might be priced out of a Chris Taylor pursuit after his big year

Chris Taylor, for whatever reason, gets overshadowed in Los Angeles – despite being one of the most versatile, consistent guys on that roster. On the year, Taylor is batting .278/.367/.476 – nearly identical to what he did a year ago when the Dodgers won it all.

Just a couple weeks shy of his 31st birthday, Taylor could be in for a solid payday this winter. I mean, if teams get into a bidding war over Taylor, I’d cut my losses and take Harrison (who has put up basically the same numbers of late) – but you like the veteran presence and the fact Taylor has known nothing but winning. He can help bring that mentality back to the North Side.

Taylor runs well, can give the Cubs a true leadoff presence and everyday center fielder and doesn’t chase out of the zone. That’s something we haven’t seen on a roster here at Wrigley in some time and could help Hoyer transition the lineup to a badly needed refresh at the plate.

All this to say, there are a lot of guys out there who would immediately give this Chicago ball club a major boost – who don’t cost nine figures. There’s a lot of uncertainty heading into this offseason with the CBA and whatnot, but it’s never too early to start thinking through moves the Cubs could make as they embark on this re-tooling effort.