Breaking down the Cubs' top remaining needs as the calendar flips to 2025

With a new year, hope is renewed for baseball fans everywhere. That's certainly the case for Chicago Cubs faithful across the country, especially after Jed Hoyer made the biggest trade of his tenure, acquiring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in December.

But the Tucker addition alone won't make this team a serious World Series contender. A month-and-a-half from spring training getting underway in Mesa, the Cubs still have a number of needs that must be addressed in some fashion. First, let's start with the items we can, more or less, cross off the offseason shopping list.

Tucker fills a need that's been painfully evident since the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez were traded away at the 2021 deadline: a true star-caliber run producer. One of the most valuable players in the league last year, albeit in an injury-shortened season, Tucker is the biggest offensive weapon we've seen on the North Side in years.

Adding a proven catcher to pair with Miguel Amaya behind the plate was a non-negotiable given his roller-coaster production in 2024. They found that in veteran Carson Kelly, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal with Chicago last month. That should, hopefully, take the pressure off Amaya who, with no minor league options remaining, is heading into a critical year.

You can't ever have enough pitching. That's been the case for years and it hasn't changed, with the Cubs jumping the market early in the offseason, signing oft-injured lefty Matthew Boyd to a two-year pact. The upside is undeniable, but counting on him to make 30 starts and pitch 150 innings feels like a big gamble. This is an area we know Hoyer has been focused all winter, with the Cubs linked to names like Jesus Luzardo, Luis Castillo and Pablo Lopez, so expect more pitching-related rumors in the weeks to come.

One way to accomplish that goal would be to come out on top in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, but the Cubs aren't viewed as front runners at this point. That could change, but signing the 23-year-old phenom can't be the only solution when looking at further bolstering the starting rotation.

The bench needs attention in the worst way. Even if they break camp with two of their MLB-best top 100 prospects (Matt Shaw and Kevin Alcantara seem like strong candidates) - there's still a need for a veteran presence there. Chicago has been connected to free agent utilityman Josh Rojas, which would be a nice add, because expecting Vidal Brujan's bat to play at the big-league level doesn't feel like a great option.

The team needs more help in the bullpen, even after adding a pair of arms this week in left-hander Caleb Thielbar and righty Ben Heller (minor league deal). A big-name addition like Tanner Scott makes a ton of sense and would go a long way toward solidifying a group largely built around potential and promise - but there's no sign the front office will deviate from its approach to assembling a bullpen that dates back to Hoyer's days as Theo Epstein's right-hand man in Boston 20+ years ago.

Chicago is moving in the right direction and has checked a lot of boxes. But there's a long way to go yet between now and camp breaking in Mesa - and Hoyer can change the narrative surrounding both his own performance and the team as a whole if he can continue rounding out this roster over the next month.