3 players the Cubs will wish they had acquired this offseason

Although there are quite a few decent players left on the open market, there are also several free agents the Chicago Cubs will regret not signing to a deal with this winter. After acquiring Michael Busch via trade, the Cubs have put their eggs in one basket, holding out hope for a guy like Cody Bellinger or Matt Chapman. Of course, Jed Hoyer always has a master plan that tends to come to fruition, proving to us that he knows what he's doing. Still, it's been a dangerous game with Scott Boras. Waiting it out is either genius or the worst thing you can do. That being said, here are three players the Cubs will wish they had acquired this offseason.

3 players the cubs will regret not signing - 3. Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray has been just about elite when anchoring a team's starting rotation. In the past two seasons, he has recorded a 2.90 ERA that has spanned 303.2 innings. His FIP over that time sits at a remarkable 3.05, and his 145 ERA+ is 45% better than the league average. In 2023, he recorded a 2.79 ERA and a league-leading 2.83 FIP en route to his third All-Star honor while becoming the bonified ace of the Minnesota Twins' pitching staff.

His three-year, 75.0M dollar contract could have been highly reasonable for the Cubs. To make matters worse, Gray wound up in the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals. His 2.70 ERA with the Cincinnati Reds is not something I want to see more of this coming year. Hopefully, passing on Gray won't haunt the Cubs for the next three years.

3 players the cubs will regret not signing - 2. Justin Turner

Given that the Cubs traded for Michael Busch and are looking to utilize him as an everyday first baseman, missing out on Justin Turner may not hurt as much. Still, Turner is a viable DH option, and those types have primarily gone overlooked due to the Cubs honing in on a position player more than anything else, regardless of what that DH may bring to the table. Turner brings offensive production and stabilization to a lineup without its best bat from a season ago.

Although I'll always low-key despise Turner for hitting a walk-off home run against the Cubs in the 2017 NLCS, the fact is that the man has always been able to hit flat-out. Last year, he slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 HRs and 96 RBIs at age 38. If the Cubs wind up not signing Bellinger, J.D. Martinez, or Matt Chapman, Turner will be looked at as one of the bats they should have at least acquired this winter.