Cubs: Ranking the top 5 offseason needs for Chicago

Ranking the top 5 offseason needs for the Cubs: #1 – Badly needed star power

Given the class of likely free agent shortstops this winter, there is no reason Chicago shouldn’t come away with their top choice. The club has next to no long-term payroll obligations and desperately need a big bat and some star power in the mix next season.

So, take your pick, Cubs fans. Is it Carlos Correa, who was incessantly linked to the team last winter in free agent rumors – and was even gifted his very own Christmas carol by the Wrigleyville faithful? How about a potential opt-out candidate like Xander Bogaerts? Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson are both also available – giving Chicago plenty of options to pair with Nico Hoerner up the middle.

Given where attendance and payroll both sit, adding a superstar back into the mix on the North Side makes all the sense in the world. And if you really want to get wild, as I noted when talking about the rotation, a trade for Ohtani not only gives you your ace, but also adds one of the most potent bats in the league into the equation.

A long shot? Absolutely. One that can be completely ruled out? Definitely not.