3 flawed free agents the Cubs must avoid at all costs this offseason

After back-to-back 83-win seasons, the Chicago Cubs need to bring in some new faces this offseason to bolster the roster. The organization has a healthy amount of depth on both the pitching and position player sides, but the big-league roster lacks true difference-making stars. This can be changed by signing impact free agents and reinvesting the money that is coming off the payroll.

That doesn't mean throwing money at the wrong players, though. For starters, here are three free agents the Cubs should steer clear of as they look to turn the corner this winter.

1. 1B Paul Goldschmidt

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is set to hit the market this winter. At 37 years old, Goldschmidt is coming off a down year by his standards, calling into question whether time has finally caught up with the former MVP. Health has never really been an issue, as he's impressively played at least 150 games in each of his last nine seasons excluding, of course, the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Goldschmidt expects to play next year, but it reportedly won't be with the Cardinals. St. Louis is going through its own struggles and they are expected to shed payroll and possibly begin a more extensive rebuild. Bleacher Report predicted that Goldschmidt would sign with the Cubs or Mariners if they can't land Pete Alonso, which would be a mistake.

The Cubs are looking to upgrade wherever they can right now, and have a young first baseman in Michael Busch who made huge strides after becoming an everyday player this year. Busch is looking to build on his 21-homer campaign, where he also emerged as a top defender at first base. If the Cubs are going to replace/trade him, they better get a player of Alonso's caliber to fill the void. Alonso is a clear upgrade to most first basemen in the league, given his consistent 30+ homer floor.

Goldschmidt was that guy at one point in his career, but he isn't a long-term option given his age. The Cubs shouldn't gamble on Goldschmidt returning to form when they have a younger player who is trending in the right direction and a more attractive alternative available in Alonso.