4 players the Chicago Cubs will regret not signing

Looking back at MLB free agency this past winter, It's safe to say the Chicago Cubs are in a much better position to succeed in 2023 than they were just a season ago. However, the front office missed several critical targets at the top of their wish list that could have projected the Cubs higher in the standings this year. Though you can't always sign whoever you want to and can't force it by hindering your team's budget in the future, these are four players the Chicago Cubs will regret that they missed out on.

4 players the Chicago Cubs will regret not signing - 4. Jose Abreu

Kicking it off with first baseman Jose Abreu. The Cubs were heavily rumored to sign the former Chicago White Sox slugger due to the need to platoon with future Cubs 1B, Matt Mervis. It also would have served as an easy move for Abreu, who could stay in Chicago and, thus, not move his family away. Inevitably, the Cubs swung and missed, with Abreu landing a three-year deal with the Houston Astros.

At two years and $40M, the Cubs' offer to Abreu was respectable. Unfortunately, the Astros opted to sign him for an extra year, which Abreu couldn't turn down. Even with Abreu's absent power last season, he was still a hitter 37% better than the league average with a wRC+ of 137. According to his ZiPS projections, he is still projected for a 129 wRC+, which would be second on the Cubs, trailing only Seiya Suzuki.