3 missed free agent targets that will haunt the Chicago Cubs

As we get ready to turn the corner to Spring Training, It's time to look back at the offseason and analyze what the Chicago Cubs did right and wrong. This time, we're looking at the three biggest misfires of free agency and how they will impact the Cubs moving forward. To Jed Hoyer's credit, the Cubs got aggressive and did land several key free agents, albeit not necessarily all of the ones they had circled at the top of their wishlist.

Landing Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon was a fantastic place to start, and the addition of Dansby Swanson was, without a doubt, what made this winter an overall win for the Cubs front office. Supplementing that group with Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini provides further depth. The Cubs have put themselves in that dark horse category to compete in the NL Central this season. As for the ones they missed, the Cubs could have been that much better if they did, in fact, land those top targets. Let's take a look at the top three that missing one will impact the Cubs in 2023.

3 missed targets - 3. Kodai Senga

Before eventually landing with the New York Mets to play ball in the Big Apple, the Cubs were hot on the trail on Kodai Senga, an ace pitcher that came over from Japan. Senga's presence at the front of the Cubs' rotation would have been critical for the success of the Cubs' pitching staff this coming season, and missing on him was not ideal. Though unproven in the MLB, Senga's elite track record in Japan makes it hard to believe that some of that success won't transfer over.

Senga's 1.94 ERA over 144.0 IP only further compliments his illustrious career in Japan, in which he has recorded a lifetime 104-51 record with a 2.42 ERA. The velocity on his fastball plays in any league, and his wipe-out "Ghost" forkball is a thing of beauty that gets hitters to swing and miss. The talent level in terms of hitting is the best in the world, but Senga has enough raw skill to adjust at the major league level, and it will soon be that he is a core piece of the Mets rotation.

3 missed targets - 1. Michael Conforto

Conforto was a free-agent target later in the offseason that they missed on as well. Knowing it would have taken a two-year deal, which he received from the San Francisco Giants, was something the Cubs front office likely didn't want to gamble on without knowing how well Conforto's shoulder would allow him to play. Given that the Cubs are looking to compete as soon as this year, they wanted to avoid taking on extra years and being locked into deals on underperformers when that money could be spent elsewhere next winter.

Though the Cubs were in a somewhat tricky situation this winter, looking to bridge gaps until their prospects are ready with shorter-term deals, they still needed a lefty power bat. They wound up without one altogether this winter. Cody Bellinger's status of if he can genuinely contribute this season is too much of a question mark to assume he can be the guy. Conforto's ability to hit 30 HRs when healthy is something the Cubs desperately need from the left side of the plate. They will now have to wait until the trade deadline or next winter to find that piece.