5 stud hitters that could transform the Chicago Cubs lineup

The Chicago Cubs are underperforming this year, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. There is a general lack of power from a lineup that should be hitting home runs. The corner outfield spots, which are traditionally manned by slugging position players, have totaled just 14 home runs from Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki combined. The most home runs have been smacked by Christopher Morel with 15, which is pretty good considering he spent the first month of the season in Triple-A.

Followed by Morel is Patrick Wisdom with 14 home runs, however, he hit 10 of those in the first month of the season and his bat has cooled off immensely since. In fact, I would contend that Patrick Wisdom's days with the team are numbered given his lack of consistent production. Dansby Swanson (10) and Cody Bellinger (9) are providing adequate power given the former's track record and the latter's month-long injury.

But the Cubs need more slug if they want their offense to truly take off. In 2015 and 2016, the lineup leaned on Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to hit long balls and drive in runs. When those two guys were clicking, the offense was as formidable as any in the league. The Cubs need one or two of those kinds of hitters in this lineup to supplement the contact-heavy efforts of Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson. Here are a few guys that are in the realm of possibility that would transform this lineup overnight and make the Cubs' offense elite again.

1. OF Juan Soto

Just imagine Juan Soto in right field instead of Seiya Suzuki or acting as the designated hitter instead of Trey Mancini. If he's in the field, the Cubs would sacrifice some defense but the dividends on offense would be worth it in my opinion. Soto consistently bops around 30 home runs a season and hits for a high batting average. But his real value is his plate discipline. Since his debut in 2018, Soto has gotten on base better than anyone in the league and he has yet to complete a season where his OBP is below the .400 mark. This puts him in a category of his own and inflates his OPS and walk rates to levels you just don't see today.

Unfortunately, Soto will not be a free agent until 2025 and that's assuming the San Diego Padres don't offer him an extension in the meantime. Even though the Padres will already have a hefty luxury tax bill presumably for years to come, I wouldn't put it past them to extend Juan Soto even though the team has been vastly underperforming. The Cubs will likely have to look elsewhere for their game-changing hitter.

2. 3B Rafael Devers

It wasn't long ago that Rafael Devers coming to the Cubs didn't look like a pipe dream. Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox secured a 10-year extension worth $313 million with the slugging third baseman in January. But there's always a chance the Red Sox end up selling soon. They are somehow struggling to secure even a wild card spot even though they are five games above .500 right now. And because of the powerhouse AL East division, the Red Sox also sit in last place despite their respectable win/loss record.

So selling doesn't look like a fantasy considering the Red Sox's roster. Although their lineup is pretty decent, Boston has a big starting pitching problem. Chris Sale is always hurt, Corey Kluber is looking washed up and the young bucks of Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock have not been sharp. However, the Cubs getting their hands on Rafael Devers would be extremely difficult considering the value of his contract. At least several high-end prospects would be needed and I don't think it would even be worth it.

Devers in the Cubs lineup would be perfect though considering the glaring hole at third base and obvious need of power. They could also use a guy that has 20 home runs and 70 RBIs at the trade deadline, which are both near the top of the league. And at just 26-years-old, Devers' best years may even be ahead of him despite his already impressive career. Alas, I don't see the Cubs giving up Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cade Horton, and others to get this deal done, nor should they at this point.

4. DH J.D. Martinez

Even though the 35-year-old J.D. Martinez is nearing the end of his career, he's still on pace to crank close to 40 home runs this year. The guy also just played his 6th career All-Star game so there may be some gas still left in the tank. The Dodgers only gave him a one-year deal worth $10 million this offseason so Martinez will again hit free agency this year. Even if the Cubs only get him for a year, his bat would go a long way for this Cubs offense and one would think Martinez could do some damage playing at Wrigley Field every day.

5. RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani

Here's the big one. This is every Cubs fan's biggest dream that will likely never come to fruition. The Los Angeles Angels again find themselves middling around .500 despite having two of the best baseball players this generation (and maybe ever) on their team. You can see a similar pattern dating back to when Ohtani came to MLB in 2018, and it may finally be time to shake things up in Anaheim. Ohtani is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season so there is a serious possibility the Angels will move him at the trade deadline in August.

If the Cubs (or anyone) hope to be in on the Ohtani sweepstakes, they will not only have to give up one of the biggest prospect packages ever seen at a trade deadline, but they will also then have to be willing to shell out the largest contract in MLB history. If Jed Hoyer and the Cubs pull this off, then all the talk of him not being the gunslinger that Theo Epstein was would immediately go out the window. But that is a very big IF.

There's no doubt Ohtani would fit very nicely at Wrigley. The team would instantly have the best designated hitter in the league who is on pace to hit more than 60 home runs this year as well as drive in over 130 runs. Oh, not to mention he's an ace-level starting pitcher that would make the already fantastic Cubs rotation elite overnight. We'll soon find out if this fantasy becomes reality as the August 1st trade deadline approaches quickly.

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