3 free agents the Chicago Cubs need to target and why

As the Chicago Cubs limp down the stretch and barely cling to their postseason hopes, it's clear they still have work to do in the offseason. The team clearly lacks the quality depth to match the Dodgers or Braves, but they're extremely close to becoming one of the teams to watch in the National League. Free agency will offer the big pieces they need to climb into the ranks of baseball's elite.

The Cubs this offseason will have to address a lingering hole at third base while generally shoring up the lineup with a middle-of-the-order bat and adding another starting pitcher. A few upgrades in the bullpen would be nice too, but with Adbert Alzolay's success as the closer and the team's general success with cobbling together bullpens in recent years, they can probably get by without a major addition at the back end.

Let's look at three free agents they need to target and why they make sense for the team. Keep in mind, this isn't counting the team's own pending free agents for whom we previously discussed the benefits of re-signing.

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Even if Marcus Stroman doesn't opt out after this year, 2023 proved once again that you can never have enough pitching in the organization. One more ace-level starting pitcher could elevate this team from good to elite and afford them plenty of flexibility with homegrown arms like Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad. This year offers no shortage of fantastic options from the presumptive Cy Young winner Blake Snell to Phillies ace Aaron Nola, but the Cubs have enough room to take a big swing and land Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is seen by experts as likely to make an immediate jump into the top end of an MLB rotation after a dominant run in Japan. Throughout seven seasons in NPB, he posted an elite 1.84 ERA while winning the Japanese Triple Crown, the Sawamura Award given to the league's best pitcher, and the Pacific League MVP award twice in a row in 2021 and 2022. When pitching in front of MLB executives from various teams, he dazzled again with a no-hitter, further proving himself as Japan's best pitcher.

A ton of teams are already expressing interest in signing Yamamoto including the Cubs. Jed Hoyer personally went to Japan to watch him pitch in preparation for his expected posting this offseason. Comparisons peg Yamamoto as similar to Masahiro Tanaka before he made the jump to the Yankees in 2014 and, like Tanaka, he's expected to demand a hefty payday that could reach over $200 million. Free agent rankings even predict he could be better and more sought-after than stars like Nola.

There's never a guarantee that a Japanese player's skills will translate to MLB, but given the sheer level of dominance Yamamoto has shown and the rare upside he shows, the Cubs should be deeply involved in landing him. A trio with him, Stroman, and Steele along with their glut of young pitchers would be a nightmare for other teams to face.

3. Shohei Ohtani

File this one under the "no duh" category. Every team should be in on Shohei Ohtani this offseason and the Chicago Cubs, too, should do their due diligence. Ohtani is bound to win the American League MVP again this year because, despite only playing 135 games, he has a 179 wRC+ with 44 home runs and a 3.14 ERA across 132 innings. No player in the game, or arguably ever, is as singularly talented as him and bringing him aboard would not only significantly improve the roster, but bring a glut of international attention toward the team.

Of course, the big concern with Ohtani is health. He underwent elbow surgery following a UCL injury earlier this year with the Angels which leaves some questions as to how well he'll be able to pitch afterward. Ohtani, who has already come back from one Tommy John surgery in his MLB career, has proven he's capable of unfathomable feats time and time again though. Even if his pitching career were in question, the bat is one of the best in baseball with a Statcast page glowing bright red as he sits at or near the top in expected batting average, weighted on-base average, and slugging.

The logistics of adding Ohtani to the Cubs are messy, but worth it for this type of player. For one, Christopher Morel would have to find a permanent position to play in order to keep Ohtani firmly in the designated hitter role. The bigger issue for Jed Hoyer and ownership to stomach, of course, is the price tag. Ohtani's contract will no doubt be in the eight to ten-year range and start with a five. That's a ton to invest in one player, but if he gets back into form on the mound, it's more like adding two stars in one. A lot of teams are going to be desperately bidding to land him though, which will only raise the price.

Landing Ohtani still seems like a long shot, but the Cubs have time and time again been connected to the two-way superstar and have reaffirmed their interest in opening up the pocketbooks this offseason. It could be a franchise-altering move and, no matter how scary the downside may seem or the cost, it needs to be considered to turn this team into a major threat.