3 missed free agent targets that will haunt the Chicago Cubs

3 missed targets - 2. Jose Abreu

Moving on to number two, Jose Abreu was an early missed target after rumors circulated around the league that the Cubs were the favorites to land him. Highly involved in the sweepstakes, the Cubs ultimately missed on Abreu, who wound up going to Houston due to the length of the deal that the Astros offered. The Cubs knew that three years was not a length they wanted to go and credit them for not locking themselves into something that could hinder them down the road.

Still, even with a down year in the power department, Abreu managed a 138 wRC+, better than any player in a Cubs uniform in 2022. Instead, the Cubs landed both Hosmer and Mancini (both 104 wRC+ in 2022), and neither project higher than 100 in the wRC+ department. On the other hand, Abreu still projects for a 129 wRC+, or 29% better than the league average. Of course, either of the Cubs' two new first basemen could have spectacular seasons, but with Abreu, you're getting surefire production that the Cubs vitally need.