Cubs have multiple ways to add more offense at third base in free agency

Rumors linking the Chicago Cubs to several notable third base candidates this offseason have been swirling as the Winter Meetings pick up steam in Orlando. First, reports of the Cubs being a serious suitor for Alex Bregman surfaced , followed by Francys Romero linking the Cubs to Eugenio Suárez. And let's not forget - we also saw local Cubs beat writerBruce Levine mentioning Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami as a hypothetical possibility.

How serious the Cubs are in pursuing any of these guys is yet to be seen, but it's worth evaluating them. Which options could potentially fit the Cubs best?

Evaluating the Cubs' free agent options to upgrade at the hot corner

Alex Bregman

Last year the 31-year-old slugger had another solid season, hitting .273/.360/.462 with an .821 OPS, 128 OPS+, 18 homers and 62 RBI in 114 games. He was named to his third career All-Star team. One area of concern was a right quad injury he suffered in May, causing him to miss a bit over a month. After returning in July, he hit .250/.338/.386 with seven homers and .724 OPS the rest of the way. Not bad in a vacuum, but not where he was pre-injury (.299/.385/.553) and not where a $36+ million AAV player would ideally be.

Of the three candidates, Bregman is the most expensive, which makes sense based on the resume. He is the best overall balanced hitter and the best glove. The question is whether he is worth the money and years he will potentially command heading into his age-32 season. Injury or not, a drop in power is always a bit concerning. His overall body of work is worth it, but over his last three seasons, he has posted a .796 OPS. Again, not at all bad, but for elite money? It can make one think twice.

If he is healthy next season, there is still reason to believe he can provide All-Star caliber production and he's known as one of the best veteran clubhouses in the league. High price, high reward.

Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suárez, 34, does not have the offensive balance that Bregman has, or quite the same caliber glove at this point. Compare Bregman's 14.1 strikeout percentage last year to Suárez's 29.8 percent mark; it's literally double, not to mention Bregman's .360 OBP last year was much higher than Suárez's .298. What Suárez would give the Cubs is legit power, at a lower price.

While hitting .228/.298/.526 with the Diamondbacks and Mariners last year, he mashed 49 homers and 118 RBI. Even during his struggles in Seattle when he hit just .189/.255/.428, he still slugged 13 homers in 53 games. Add on three more in the postseason. This power surge was no fluke; he's hit 325 homers in his career and since 2016 (not counting the 2020 COVID-shortened season), he's averaged roughly 32-33 homers a season and has missed few games.

Suárez, per Spotrac, is worth right around $15 million. There are a lot of holes in the bat, and the glove is a big downgrade from Matt Shaw (assuming he is moved to a utility and defensive role), but that 30+ home run power at a reasonable price would be a welcome addition to that lineup. Hopefully for his sake he has some more pop in the tank as he approaches mid-30s in age.

Munetaka Murakami

The 25-year old Munetaka Murakami of the Yakult Swallows is a lefty-hitting corner infielder with serious pop. Overseas he has already smashed 265 homers with a slash of .273/.394/.550 and a .945 OPS in 1,003 games. Murakami has two Central League MVP Awards and was the Triple Crown winner in 2022. He garnered international attention as a Gold Medal winner in the Tokyo Summer Olympics and was part of the 2023 Japan World Baseball Classic team.

There is serious upside here, and naturally the Dodgers are the leading favorites to land him, along with the Mariners and Mets per Yahoo Sports. Being the prized bat of the group of posting Japanese stars he will get his payday. Though, there are questions beyond just him not having previous MLB experience. He might not be a long-term solution at third base, and he has some high strikeout numbers.

Cubs landing Murakami feels less likely than Bregman or Suárez, but he is a high-risk, high-reward option. CBS Sports puts him costing at around $162.775 million (including posting fees) for six years.

Conclusion

In all honesty, if looking for the best value for what they give, Suárez feels like a solid pick. It might not align with the "run prevention" model, but Shaw can still serve as a utility type and late-inning defense at third. Or Suárez could serve being a DH more often. Even with the holes, that power is no joke. Bregman is the better overall player, but that is going to cost a bundle, not to say he would not be a welcome addition to the team. Murakami is the biggest risk that will cost a lot, but it could be worth it.