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.

2. Matt Chapman

Third base is an interesting position for the Cubs at the moment. Currently, their best defender at the position is Nick Madrigal who has managed to accumulate 7 defensive runs saved and 10 outs above average across 560 1/3 innings this year. His 83 wRC+ doesn't cut it for such an offense-heavy position though. Jeimer Candelario was acquired at the deadline to add extra firepower with a 118 wRC+ on the year, but he's had a bit of a rollercoaster career and, before going out with an injury, struggled mightily in Chicago.

Re-signing Candelario might not be a bad idea, but if the team really wants to make a big splash, Matt Chapman is the way to go. There are no questions about his defensive ability - the two-time Platinum Glove winner has been excellent at the hot corner yet again with 4 OAA. He's also paired that with another solid offensive season overall with a 112 wRC+, though there are warning signs as those results have largely been carried by a hot April and July.

There are reasons to be optimistic about Chapman offensively, though. Statcast shows he's one of the best hitters in MLB when it comes to barreling the ball and exit velocity and, although his strikeout rate is a bit high, he doesn't chase often. He also doesn't put the ball on the ground much either, coming in with a rate nearly ten percent below league average. Sportrac currently has him estimated at a four-year, $64.7 million deal which, for a stellar glove and a bat with high upside seems very reasonable.

It will probably cost a bit more than that to actually land Chapman, but there's an undeniable fit for him with the Cubs. With him in tow, especially if they re-sign Bellinger at first base, it would be hard to find a better defensive infield complete with Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson up the middle.