4 players who could play third for the Chicago Cubs in 2024

The Chicago Cubs currently have five players on the active roster who can play third base, yet their plan for the position is pretty unclear for 2024. The primary third baseman right now is Jeimer Candelario, who is only under contract for the remainder of the 2023 season. The other players include Miles Mastrobuoni, Patrick Wisdom, and Nick Madrigal.

Mastrobuoni is a capable enough defender at the position, but his bat is not up to par. The utility man's wRC+ is 60 on the year, which is 40 points below the league average. His talents are better used in a pinch runner or a defensive replacement role.

Almost the same can be said about Patrick Wisdom, who plays more than fine defense at the hot corner. But Widsom's bat is becoming Joey Gallo-level bad, as the guy smacks a ton of home runs (21) but strikes out at an alarming rate (37.8%). At 32 years old, Wisdom is not the long-term option at third base and his spot on the active roster should be seriously looked at in the offseason.

That leaves Nick Madrigal, who worked hard in the offseason to learn how to play third base and he transformed himself into a plus defender at the position. But his is another average bat that can't hit for power. Given Madrigal's small stature, it is also concerning that he isn't a real threat on the base paths. Since Madrigal still has three years of control left and has the ability to play third and second base, packaging him in a trade could be a smart idea.

With third base being a traditional power position, and the Cubs in need of home runs, the team should look to upgrade long-term at the position to make their lineup more formidable. Here are four candidates to helm the hot corner for the Cubs next year.

1. Christopher Morel

One of the greatest blunders of the year in my opinion was the fact that the Cubs were unwilling to let Christopher Morel figure out how to play third base. I understand that there are better defenders the Cubs trust more, but Morel is only 24-years-old and sticking him in the DH role seriously limits the lineup construction. He may play better at positions up the middle, but he is blocked out by guys who need to be in the lineup like Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Cody Bellinger.

Third base was the only logical place for Morel to develop long-term, but the team instead opted to teach Nick Madrigal how to play the position and trade for Jeimer Candelario. Candelario's addition is certainly welcome, but it's weird that the Cubs did not even try to give Morel a shot at third. He certainly isn't going to get better when he's the designated hitter every day. He has the power of a third baseman and the Cubs might as well trade him if they don't want to give him a shot at a long-term spot on the field.

2. Jeimer Candelerio

As I said, Candelario is only under contract through 2023, but the Cubs may want to consider keeping him around. His contract shouldn't be too crazy since he's not having a groundbreaking season, but the 29-year-old is just a solid baseball player. He plays fantastic defense at third base and can fill in at first, and this is the second year in his career that Candelario is near the top of the league in doubles (37).

Candelario has good pop (20 home runs), decent plate discipline (.340 OBP) and solid defense. He's just an all-around good player that seems to mesh with the current Cubs team. He could be a low-cost option moving forward, but there are other options.

4. Matt Chapman

If the Cubs really want to upgrade their lineup, Matt Chapman would be the way to go. Although he doesn't hit for average (.242 career) Chapman would provide some much-needed pop for the Cubs. The 30-year-old consistently hits around 25-30 home runs each year while floating near the top of the league in doubles.

A finger injury recently put Chapman on the IL, but the Cubs should still consider the guy for his defense alone. He is one of the best defensive shortstops in the league with two platinum gloves under his belt. Putting him in the infield alongside Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Cody Bellinger would give the Cubs quite possibly the best defensive infield in baseball, which would play well to their groundball-heavy pitching staff.

Since Chapman will miss time and he has been relatively cold in the second half of the season, his contract may not be that risky.

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