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3 backup options for the Cubs if they go cheap after missing out on Jose Abreu

By Jake Misener |
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Chicago White Sox v Oakland Athletics / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
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In a move that will almost certainly put Cubs fans on edge, veteran first baseman Jose Abreu - who was reportedly at the top of the team's wish list - has reportedly agreed to terms with the World Series champion Houston Astros, taking the premier first base option off the free agent market.

That puts Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins in the unenviable position of falling back to lower-priced backup options on the market. Abreu was, by far, the best fit for a Cubs team in need of a stable veteran presence capable of shouldering the load offensively heading into 2023.

Let's take a look at three potential options on the free agent market who could, at the very least, provide an insurance policy alongside prospect Matt Mervis at first base. We've heard a lot around Trey Mancini and Josh Bell, but the Cubs missing out on Abreu makes me worry they're looking for more of a stopgap than a proven commodity.

3 first base options if the Cubs go cheap again: #3 - Yuli Gurriel

Abreu joins an Astros team that will likely now move on from longtime first baseman Yuli Gurriel who, at age 38, turned in one of the worst seasons of his career - just a year removed from winning a batting title and a Gold Glove. Knowing the Cubs are adamant about avoiding long-term deals, throwing a one-year offer Gurriel's way would be about the lowest effort option out there to address first base.

This year with the Astros, Gurriel slashed just .242/.288/.360 - but managed to rank in the top six percent of qualified hitters with a 12.5 percent strikeout rate. The Cubs love high-contact guys, but I'd rather see someone with more pop brought in alongside Mervis.

If this is the 'solution' Hoyer puts forward, Cubs fans are going to be irate - regardless of the track record Gurriel has. That would be a clear one-year, slap a bandaid on a wound way to address first base while spending as little money as humanly possible.

Oakland Athletics v Baltimore Orioles
Oakland Athletics v Baltimore Orioles / G Fiume/GettyImages

3 first base options if the Cubs go cheap again: #2 - Jesus Aguilar

Jesus Aguilar, like Gurriel, is coming off a down year but isn't too far removed from being an impactful presence in a big league lineup.

In 2022, Aguilar split the season between Miami and Baltimore but, despite the change of scenery, never really got things going. In 507 plate appearances, the 32-year-old first baseman hit 235/.281/.379, popping 16 home runs and driving in 51 runs on the year.

But just last year, as a member of the Marlins in 2021, Aguilar was a major power presence, carrying a 111 OPS+ while slugging .459 and driving in 93 runs. There's reason to believe he's still got something left in the tank but given the struggles we saw this year, he's unlikely to fetch much on the open market this offseason.

Given he's always been a guy who hits the ball hard, maybe there's a path to a bounceback campaign next year once the shift is banned and there are more holes on the diamond? Someone will take a flyer on Aguilar and given Mervis' presence, I wouldn't be surprised if that team winds up being the Cubs.

New York Mets v Washington Nationals
New York Mets v Washington Nationals / G Fiume/GettyImages

3 first base options if the Cubs go cheap again: #1 - Dominic Smith

It feels like we've been thinking about Dominic Smith as a potential Cub for some time now. Of course, there was speculation this summer around the possibility of him coming to Chicago in a deal for Willson Contreras. But the Mets were scared off of making a major trade with the Cubs for the second straight year and Smith stayed put in Queens.

Smith has never really lived up to the potential that once surrounded him when he was a prospect, but he's still just 27 years old (and won't turn 28 until next summer). This guy screams reclamation project and change-of-scenery candidate and now that he's a free agent, we're going to see plenty of teams hope to capture lightning in a bottle.

A .560 OPS at the big league level in 2022 isn't going to warrant a major payday. That's clear. But if the Cubs really believe in Mervis, pairing him up with someone like Smith should be viewed as a very real possibility.

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I can't say I'd personally be excited about the Cubs penny-pinching again this winter. My guess is when it came to Abreu, they were comfortable at the $20 million AAV - but a third year that takes him through his age-39 season wasn't going to fly with the front office or ownership. Chicago is going to learn: you either get a little uncomfortable with those top free agent targets or you watch them play against you.

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