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3 superstar free agents who could join the Cubs next season
With over $300 million committed to free agents this offseason, the Cubs ranked among the top spenders in the league this winter. Jed Hoyer handed the second-largest free agent contract in franchise history to shortstop Dansby Swanson, a move that had a domino-like effect, giving the team arguably the best middle infield defense in all of baseball.
Still, you can make the case Chicago still lacks that top-tier superstar presence. That's hardly a knock on Swanson, who, no doubt, makes this a better team in 2023 and beyond. But if the Cubs are going to lock down a true top-of-the-market free agent next year, it's going to take a contract far beyond anything they've doled out to this point.
3 superstar free agents who could join the Cubs in 2024 - 3: Shohei Ohtani
The big fish in the free agent pond next winter is two-way generational talent Shohei Ohtani. I'm not going to delve into the Babe Ruth comparisons, but I will say that there is no one more deserving of drawing such lofty comps in terms of his skillset.
Ohtani wants to win. He's made that perfectly clear, sidestepping any questions about his future with the Angels. At the conclusion of the 2022 season, the 28-year-old made it clear he was frustrated with how the club performed, missing the postseason yet again despite his AL MVP runner-up performance.
You can make the case the team that comes away with Ohtani will have the distinction of handing the first $500 million contract to a free agent. That puts teams like the Mets and Dodgers at the top of likely landing spots, but the Cubs have a ton of money coming off the books after 2022, as well - and could be a dark horse candidate to land one of the most dynamic talents the game has ever known.
3 superstar free agents who could join the Cubs in 2024 - 2: Julio Urias
Heading into his final year of team control at just 26 years old, Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias is poised for a massive payday if things go according to plan this year. A Cy Young finalist in 2022, he brought home the ERA title with a 2.16 mark across 175 innings of work and has been downright otherwordly since the start of the 2021 campaign.
During that span, the Mexican-born southpaw has made 63 starts for Los Angeles, working to a 2.57 ERA, 3.41 FIP and 0.990 WHIP while racking up 360 2/3 innings. Somehow, you never hear enough about this guy on a national level - but you can bet front offices across the league are salivating at the chance of cementing him atop their rotations next winter.
There are a couple avenues Urias could pursue. A higher-AAV deal somewhere in the four or five-year range would allow him to hit free agency again in his early 30s, potentially setting him up for a second payday in his prime. If that's the case, the Cubs should pounce. The lack of long-term risk, regardless of the pricetag in the interim, would make him a perfect fit and give Chicago a top-of-the-rotation arm capable of dominating hitters every time out.
3 superstar free agents who could join the Cubs in 2024 - 1: Manny Machado
Leaving nothing to the imagination, Padres third baseman Manny Machado announced his intent to opt out of the rest of his deal at year's end, setting himself up to be one of the most sought-after commodities on the open market.
Varying reports suggest he could be looking for a deal in the 10-year, $400 million range - which would carry him through his age-41 season. In the past, that might have been a laughable idea, but these longer deals have become very popular, allowing front offices to lower the luxury tax hit annually. The back ends of these contracts could very well prove painful, but. that hasn't dissuaded clubs from handing them out.
Last season in San Diego, Machado turned in another MVP-caliber performance for the Padres, evidenced by an .898 OPS and 152 wRC+ in 150 games. A perennial Gold Glove finalist (and two-time winner) at the hot corner, the idea of Machado, Swanson and Hoerner comprising three-quarters of the Cubs infield is, quite literally, the stuff of dreams.
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With Chicago turning the corner on its rebuild, will Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer put their heads together on a move of this caliber? TIme will tell. It would be uncharted waters for the franchise and this front office, but could have the Cubs back in the World Series hunt as soon as 2024.