3 key areas Cubs can still improve without making a blockbuster addition

The Chicago Cubs have spent their offseason reconstructing their bullpen, and the work in that area seems to be completed. Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey are the new arrivals, while the front office has also brought back Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea.

The issue is that the Cubs have avoided the blockbuster addition this winter. Jed Hoyer and Co. have sat on the sidelines as the likes of Dylan Cease, Michael King, Pete Alonso, and Kyle Schwarber have all been taken off the market.

Tatsuya Imai and Alex Bregman are still on the free-agent market, so there remains an opportunity for the team to connect on a big swing this offseason. However, their own actions over the last several years would suggest that the Cubs won't be itching to change the narrative that surrounds them.

3 key areas Cubs can still improve without making a blockbuster addition

The good news is that the Cubs can still improve their areas of need without making a blockbuster addition. Sure, this wouldn't be the ideal route to take before spring training, but it is one that Cubs fans should be familiar with.

Starting Rotation

Even if the Cubs don't sign Imai, there should be an expectation that they address the need in the starting rotation. Assuming Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are also going to be priced out of the Cubs' reach, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if Hoyer mails it in with the signing of Justin Verlander.

Not trading for Verlander in 2017 is one of Hoyer's biggest regrets, and perhaps this is the offseason where he corrects that mistake. Verlander isn't the pitcher he was back then, but he still posted an ERA of 3.85 in 29 starts with the San Francisco Giants last year.

Third Base

The likely scenario this offseason is that Alex Bregman returns to the Boston Red Sox, and Matt Shaw opens the season as the Cubs' starting pitcher. Still, the Cubs would be wise to add another veteran third baseman as insurance for Shaw.

There hasn't been much made of Eugenio Suarez's free-agent market this offseason, and that is likely due to teams waiting on decisions from Bregman and Kazuma Okamoto. Still, considering his struggles with the Seattle Mariners, he likely is in line for a short-term deal. If he's still around in February, the Cubs may look for an opportunistic deal.

The Bench

As of now, Scott Kingery is the Cubs' utility man for the 2026 season. That's not an ideal outcome for an offseason where there should have been a focus on improving the bench. There's still time for the Cubs to do so, and this should be an easy area for them to address before Opening Day.

The Cubs' offseason still feels incomplete, and it may not have taken the direction that fans hoped, but there are still ways for it to be successful, even if it does happen without a blockbuster move.