Cubs miss out on a perfect free agent fit to the laughingstock White Sox

There's nothing like kicking off a new year by seeing a rumored Chicago Cubs free agent target sign with the Chicago White Sox, who, in case you spent 2024 under a rock, are coming off the worst season in MLB history at 41-121.

Utilityman Josh Rojas, who was non-tendered by the Seattle Mariners, has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the White Sox - taking a logical bench target off the board for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs.

Rojas, 30, looked to be exactly the type of player manager Craig Counsell badly needs on this roster. The bench mix is still wildly underwhelming and his offensive upside, paired with an ability to move all over the diamond defensively, made him an attractive target, to say the least.

Last season with the Mariners, he struggled offensively, slashing just .225/.304/.336 in 476 trips to the plate - but was still worth 2.2 bWAR on the year. On a one-year pact, it's frankly a little surprising the Cubs couldn't or chose not to get this done, but there's still time to round out this roster.

Another Alex Bregman rumor popped up on New Year's Day - but it's hard to truly believe the Cubs are legitimate suitors for the longtime Astros third baseman. However, if that were the case, and Hoyer brought in a third baseman of this caliber, then top prospect Matt Shaw could slide into a bench role and give Counsell that defensive versatility.

A path to everyday at-bats may have played a role in Rojas joining the White Sox. At best, he was going to be a platoon piece on the Cubs infield - and was more likely than not ticketed for a full-time bench gig. As currently constructed, the Cubs bench projects as catcher Carson Kelly, infielder and Rule 5 selection Gage Workman, outfielder Alexander Canario and recently-acquired Vidal Brujan.

That's a group that could certainly use some more firepower. That's not to say Rojas constitutes as firepower, but he definitely possesses more upside than guys like Workman or Brujan - or, at the very least, has had success at the big-league level, which feels important given the Cubs have postseason aspirations in 2025.