Cubs have one move they can't afford to drag their feet on at the GM Meetings

The GM Meetings take place this week in Las Vegas, and with the Winter Meetings expected to be wiped away with the MLB lockout in December, there's an expectation that there could be some moves over the next several days. For teams like the Chicago Cubs, with multiple holes to fill on their roster, they don't really have much time to waste.

In the past, the GM Meetings served as a way for executives to set the stage for future moves in the offseason. Things should be different, considering there's essentially a deadline for offseason activity on December 1. Beyond just preliminary talks being had this week, it would seem that there's a real chance that a team surprises with a move or two.

The Cubs can't really afford to drag their feet. They need multiple starting pitchers, at least one more outfielder, another arm in the bullpen, a definitive plan for what to do at catcher, and piecing together the bench. Those are a lot of boxes that need to be checked in the next three weeks, so the hope is that Jed Hoyer and Co. can start chipping away at that to-do list in Vegas this week.

Cubs shouldn't waste much more time in bringing back David Peterson for the starting rotation

Now, there should also be some level of caution. Even with the heightened urgency this week, it would seem unlikely that any of the big free-agent names will go off the board this soon. A more accurate timeline for those signings would likely be around Thanksgiving. But for the Cubs, the best place to start should be by bringing back David Peterson.

Sure, it's not the sexiest of moves to kick off the month of activity for the Cubs, but it one that should probably be pushed across the finish line soon. Similar to Clay Holmes, Peterson is a natural fit for what the Cubs do best, and it was none the more clear than after the Cubs traded for him during the season.

Peterson made 16 appearances for the Cubs, 15 starts, posting an ERA of 3.70 while keeping the ball on the ground nearly 50% of the time. Just to make it clear how successful he was with the Cubs, in 13 of those 16 appearances, Peterson surrendered two runs or less.

Now, he's not someone that should be placed at the very top of the rotation, but it's important to remember that not every starting pitcher the Cubs add this winter is going to be of the ace-caliber variety. The money the Cubs have available this offseason will need to be spread one, and bringing back Peterson is an ideal place to start.

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