Surprising Max Fried prediction keeps Chicago Cubs fans hopes alive

It hasn't been an ideal week for those hopeful that the Chicago Cubs would make a a surprising dive into the deepest waters of free agency.

There continues to be nothing but confirmation from every angle the Cubs are avoiding even a basic interest in Juan Soto this offseason and of the free agents the team is believed to be targeting, it reeks of Jed Hoyer trying once again to succeed at something he has failed at over the last two seasons--winning on the margins.

To Hoyer's credit, there is a case that can be made for the Cubs avoiding Corbin Burnes. For as great as Burnes has been, his long-term projection would suggest that there would be a high amount of risk involved with signing him to a deal that exceeds 7 years and $200MM. That same fear isn't evident in Max Fried's sweepstakes.

Early estimations of Fried's next contract place his deal in the range of 5-6 years for around $160MM. With reports that the Cubs are looking to add an established starting pitcher near the top of their rotation, Fried is the free-agent pitcher that many have in mind.

However, with a recent report that the Cubs are shopping in the "midtier" section of free-agent starting pitchers this offseason, the idea of Fried inking a deal with the Cubs this offseason has all but been diminished as a likely scenario.

Ben Verlander of Fox Sports, however, is trying to keep the hope alive.

Fried, as we have discussed before, would be a tremendous addition to the Cubs' rotation. The issue, it seems, is that the Cubs may even be shying away from Fried's level of starting pitchers this offseason. To be fair, Fried is at the high end of available starting pitchers after Burnes, and the Cubs haven't shown an inclination toward that kind of deal since signing Yu Darvish after the 2017 season. Given the prices and the expected projection of his profile, there isn't a reason for the Cubs to be sitting out of Fried's market.