5 Players who could play first base for the Chicago Cubs in 2024

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The Chicago Cubs are in need of some power bats at the infield corners and a permanent solution to the gaping hole at first base that has been present since the Anthony Rizzo trade in 2021.

There are many possibilities that the Cubs' front office could pursue this winter whether it be through trades, free agency, or in-house options. Here are five players who could play first base for the Cubs in 2024.

1. Pete Alonso

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is rumored to be on the trade block this offseason and the Cubs should be the first ones to call on a potential blockbuster. The latest rumor from Cubs beat writer Jesse Rogers even suggests that Alonso wants to come play for the Cubs. It's impossible to gauge whether this is true or not, but it would make sense given the Mets were major disappointments who sold at the trade deadline this year. And, as one of the league's premiere power hitters, Alonso most certainly wants to play for a competing team.

However, pulling this trade off will be complicated and could take a hefty load of prospects. A haul that the Cubs are in a good position to give up considering their farm system is now one of the best in baseball. But the juice may not be worth the squeeze for an Alonso deal.

The 28-year-old Alonso is heading into his final year of arbitration before he hits free agency prior to the 2025 season. Unless the Cubs are able to work out a trade/extension right off the bat, I don't think sending your best prospects to the Mets would be worth just one year of Alonso's services.

Alonso is the type of guy I would like to see play at Wrigley Field for years to come alongside the current core. His ability to hit 35+ home runs a year while driving in more than 90+ runs has been as consistent as you can get in each of his four full seasons in MLB. A slugger like Alonso would make the Cubs lineup more complete and help fill in the power gap.

2. Cody Bellinger

The Chicago Cubs are hopefully the most likely candidates to give Cody Bellinger a long-term deal this winter. After mighty struggles at the plate over the last few years of his tenure in Los Angeles, Bellinger saw a near-full return to his MVP form while playing in Chicago this year.

Bellinger' agent Scott Boras is notorious for his ability to negotiate the most lucrative deals in Major League Baseball, meaning the Cubs will need to pay top dollar to re-sign the 28-year-old. Assuming that the Cubs are able to work out this deal to bring Bellinger back, I would guess he spends most of his playing time at first base despite getting the paycheck that a star center fielder would command.

Of course, where Bellinger plays will heavily depend on the other moves the team makes this winter. For example, if the Cubs indeed go out and get Pete Alonso, Bellinger would have to play in the outfield or DH. The team may also not be ready to give star prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong the full reigns of center field, meaning Bellinger would be the logical plug at center field until Crow-Armstrong develops.

Even if he doesn't play at first base, Bellinger is a must have for the Cubs this offseason.

3. Patrick Wisdom

Despite the fact that Patrick Wisdom is not a strong defender at first base, the Cubs seemed comfortable playing him there on several occasions. It doesn't seem likely that the team will move on from Wisdom, much to my chagrin. The 32-year-old struck out 36.8% of the time this year, which is much higher than the 22.7% league average.

Wisdom also hit .205 with 23 home runs, 10 of which were in the month of April. The bottom line is that Wisdom is a very flawed hitter who should no longer be a starting player on this Cubs team. With his high strikeout percentage and low batting average, Wisdom's value comes only if he is starting every day since his home runs were few and far between this year.

I would like to see Wisdom packaged in a trade since he could still provide value to other teams as a backup third baseman or designated hitter.

4. Matt Mervis

Matt Mervis had a six-week long stint in the majors this year and it did not go well at the plate. In 90 at-bats, Mervis had a .167 batting average with 3 home runs and a .531 OPS. The 25-year-old is a plus defender at first base but needs refinement at the plate.

When he was sent back down, Mervis worked on subtle swing adjustments that yielded good results in Triple-A. By the end of the season, Mervis had collected 22 home runs, 23 doubles, and an impressive .932 OPS for the Iowa Cubs.

It remains to be seen whether these adjustments will transfer well to MLB but the Cubs could sure use a home-grown left-handed slugger.

5. Rhys Hoskins

I feel like Rhys Hoskins has flown under the radar given his season-ending surgery in April to repair a torn ACL. But the 30-year-old is a power-hitting first baseman who will be a free agent this winter, and he could be an intriguing dark horse option for the Cubs.

Hoskins has started at first base for the Phillies full time since 2018, and he has surpassed 25+ home runs in four separate seasons. In addition to power, Hoskins drives in plenty of runs (405 career RBI's) while also showing a keen batter eye with a career on base percentage of .353.

Hoskins has been a solid contributor to the Phillies in his career and he was an integral part of the team's 2022 World Series run where he smacked 6 home runs in the postseason. Coming off a serious injury, Hoskins may have to sign a short-term prove-it deal similar to Bellinger's deal last year. This means the Cubs may be able to get Hoskins for a cheaper price if the Phillies don't re-sign him.

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