Chicago Cubs News: Grading the team's offseason additions

While the Chicago Cubs are probably not quite ready to compete for a World Series, I believe their additions this offseason will put them in a position to put up a good fight against the St. Louis Cardinals and possibly even make the playoffs in 2023. Jed Hoyer’s front office had a mission to improve this club in terms of defense, base-running, power, and pitching depth, and they accomplished most of those things with a slew of free-agent signings. Let’s look at each addition and grade the value they bring to the 2023 Chicago Cubs.

Dansby Swanson: A

The Cubs went into the offseason looking to sign one of the four big shortstops that were on the market, and they walked away with the former Braves star after inking him to a 7-year $177 million deal. The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, where he led Atlanta in hits (177) and runs scored (99) while securing his first gold glove after posting 9 defensive runs saved at shortstop.

With Swanson on the dirt, the Cubs' infield defense receives a massive upgrade. The move allows Nico Hoerner, an elite defender in his own right, to shift over to second base and make the Cubs' middle infield arguably the best in baseball. With so many soft contact-inducing pitchers on the staff, like Kyle Hendricks, Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, and Drew Smyly, and the limits on shifting coming in 2023, infield defense is more important than ever and the Swanson signing makes the Cubs elite in this category for years to come.

Jameson Taillon: B+

Being one of the aforementioned soft contact pitchers, Taillon should provide some stability to the Cubs rotation with good defenders like Swanson and Hoerner behind him. Although he isn’t the ace the Cubs could use, Taillon put up a respectable 151 strikeouts in 177 innings with the Yankees last season. The Cubs were in need of a veteran pitcher capable of throwing a lot of innings, and Taillon checks off those boxes. We will be seeing a lot of Taillon for the foreseeable future, as his $68 million deal brings him to the northside for the next four years.

Drew Smyly: C+

The Cubs added even more rotation depth by bringing back southpaw Drew Smyly on a 2-year $19 million deal. In 2022, Smyly started 22 games for the Cubbies and posted a reasonable 3.47 ERA in 106 innings pitched. We know that Kyle Hendricks’ lingering shoulder injury will keep him sidelined for the start of the season. This means Smyly will probably be in the starting rotation alongside Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, and James Taillon, while several others compete for the 5th spot. While Smyly is prone to injury himself, it is always good to have extra arms on staff. In addition to being familiar with the Cubs, Smyly was teammates with Dansby Swanson when they won the World Series in 2021.

Cody Bellinger: A

With the Cubs in need of a center fielder and a left-handed power bat, I can think of a few free agents from this past offseason who fit the Cubs' needs better than Cody Bellinger. His one-year contract puts him and the Cubs in a mutually beneficial position. The Cubs need a defensive wizard to act as a stopgap until Pete-Crow Armstrong gets to the majors, and Bellinger needs a career renaissance at the plate to secure himself a long-term deal next offseason. It’s a match made in baseball heaven that could pay dividends for both parties with Bellinger primed for a bounce-back season at the plate.

Trey Mancini: B+

There has been a giant question mark at first base since the Anthony Rizzo trade, and the Cubs brought in help in the form of Trey Mancini. They also understandably decided to move on from Alfonso Rivas and Frank Schwindel, as those two never really panned out as long-term solutions. Mancini inked a two-year deal, and his bat should provide some much-needed power to this lineup. Although his home run numbers dipped in the last two seasons with the Orioles, that could likely be partially attributed to the Camden Yards fence renovation. Wrigley Field should be an easier spot for Mancini to go yard and he will probably be in the lineup most days as the team’s DH as well as a backup first baseman. Mancini can also play corner outfield spots in a pinch.

Eric Hosmer: C

I anticipate Eric Hosmer will not be on the Cubs very long. Although he provides a veteran presence in the clubhouse and has been around winning teams for a long time, his production at the plate has dropped at an alarming rate recently. Last season, Hosmer hit a disappointing 8 home runs with just 44 RBIs. It is also not very encouraging that the Padres were willing to eat the vast majority of the $44 million Hosmer is owed for the next three years just to get him off their roster.

The bright side is the Cubs are only on the hook to pay Hosmer $720,000 in 2023. But with the addition of Mancini and depth in the form of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom, not to mention Matt Mervis is knocking on the big-league door, I don’t expect Hosmer to have a long tenure at the Friendly Confines.

Tucker Barnhart: B

The departure of Willson Contreras to the rival Cardinals was painful but warranted considering he was not traded at the deadline despite everyone in the world expecting him to. Although it’s virtually impossible to replace Contreras's offensive production in the form of a catcher, the Cubs improved at the plate in other ways with Swanson, Bellinger, and Mancini. According to recent reports from the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, there was a riff between Contreras and manager David Ross's coaching staff about his approach to the game and how he handled the pitching staff. With the pitch clock in play this year, it is more imperative than ever to have your catchers on the same page with the team to save yourself from unneeded strike calls, so perhaps Contreras's departure was a blessing in disguise.

The main void left by Contreras however was the need for another veteran catcher capable of handling backstop duties alongside Yan Gomes, and the Cubs secured that with Tucker Barnhart. It’s not a flashy signing, but one that was needed to bolster the catching depth, especially with top catching prospect Miguel Amaya prone to injury. The Cubs' emphasis on run prevention was also apparently a main factor in Barnhart choosing to sign with the North Side.

Brad Boxberger: B+

Boxberger brings a veteran presence to a very young Cubs bullpen. In his last two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Boxberger tossed 128 innings and struck out 151 batters. The 34-year-old also came cheap on his one-year $2.8 million deal. With many gaps to fill and no clear solutions in the bullpen, Boxberger will likely be utilized in a set-up role or even be given closing duties down the line.

Michael Fulmer: B+

Like Boxberger, Fulmer is another solid veteran arm that will slot into the back of the bullpen nicely. David Ross has said he does not have a dedicated closer in mind, but Fulmer will likely be in the mix to emerge as that 9th-inning guy. Initially a starter, Fulmer was converted to a bullpen guy after struggling to consistently start games in 2018 in 2020. His transition to the bullpen has been seamless, however. Over the last two seasons, Fulmer has tossed 120 innings with a 2.98 ERA and 127 strikeouts while playing for Minnesota and Detroit. In 2021, Fulmer also collected 14 saves in 18 opportunities.