Chicago Cubs Rumors: Ranking the top 10 remaining FA position players

It has been a wild last few days for the Chicago Cubs and MLB free agency. Even though the winter meetings have concluded, there certainly only figures to be more of the same in terms of free-agent contracts and the speed at which they're being signed. All the top-tier in Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, and Aaron Judge have signed. Two top shortstops are now off the board: Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts, who both have received colossal contracts. For the Cubs, shortstop remains the priority but they will have to turn out their pockets if they wish to acquire one.

Luckily, several options are still available if the Cubs miss on either Carlos Correa or Dansby Swanson. It's no secret the Cubs need more offensive production in their lineup. Hoerner, Happ, Suzuki, and Bellinger are solid places to start, especially if the latter finds his swing again. Ahead, we've accumulated stats, analytics, and a better understanding of 10 of the best remaining position players available that could benefit the Cubs in 2023. Let's dive right in and take a look.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 10. Nelson Cruz

Although Nelson Cruz finally had a down year at the plate, he has essentially been the Father Time of baseball. At 42 years old, Cruz still has an impressive slash line of .274/.344/.515 over his illustrious 18-year career. From 2009 through 2021, he averaged a .279/.349/.535 with 33 HRs and 89 RBIs per 162-game average. He is a seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger recipient. He only appeared in 124 games this season due to a particularly down year at the plate for the first time in his career.

Adding Cruz's bat to the lineup gives the Cubs some much-needed pop. He poses the same low-risk, high-reward outcome on a one-year deal as Cody Bellinger. With Xander Bogaerts coming off the board and landing in San Diego on a monster 11-year deal and the San Francisco Giants hot on the trail on Carlos Correa, the chances of the Cubs getting a shortstop are growing slimmer by the day. Nelson Cruz is an acceptable fallback option on a one-year deal to help bridge the gap if the Cubs miss their key targets this winter.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 9. Jesus Aguilar

A solid backup option after missing on Jose Abreu and Josh Bell is Jesus Aguilar. Like Nelson Cruz before him, Aguilar had a down 2022 after being remarkably consistent for the majority of his career. From 2017 through 2021, Aguilar recorded a slash of .263/.338/.476 with 25 HRs and 92 RBIs per 162 games played. Most of his struggles in 2022 came from having no real protection around him in the lineup the way he did in years prior. The Miami Marlins weren't precisely star-studded this year. However, upon being traded to Baltimore, he still wound up struggling there as well.

Aguilar is now 32 years old and, after signing a one-year deal for 7.5MM with Miami last winter, figures to be looking at another one-year contract with a lower price point after not doing so hot this season. Should the Cubs need to go far down the list of available first baseman/DH type of guys, Aguilar is one of the more eye-popping when you glance over his sabermetrics and advanced analytics that could be had for cheap.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 8. Michael Brantley

Fresh off another World Series run, though he spent most of the season injured, Michael Brantley has entered free agency. One of the purest hitters on the market, the fine-time All-Star carries an impressive .298/.356/.439 career slash line. Now 35 years old, Brantley isn't expected to sign an extremely lucrative or long-term deal. We know the Cubs have Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki, but you also can't assume all three will play 162 games a year either.

Adding Brantley on a two-year deal could give the Cubs extra depth in the outfield, as well as adding production offensively to the everyday lineup. I'm keeping an eye on these types of outfielders, with no recent news of the Cubs closing in on another corner infielder. We know they've been connected to first basemen, but if they look to just platoon Wisdom at first with Mervis and keep Morel at third base, then the need for an extra outfielder begins to make more sense. Brantley's bat-to-ball skills are exceptional and could be a critical veteran presence for the cubs moving forward.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 6. Christian Vazquez

Another name we've heard been heavily connected to the Chicago Cubs is veteran catcher, Christian Vazquez. When speaking of the catching position, Jed Hoyer has gone on record stating that catching is a two-way position. To break that down further, he is essentially saying the Cubs are looking for a good hitter and good defender behind the plate all in one. Vazquez is currently 7th overall among active catchers when it comes to caught stealing percentage. He also sports a .261/.310/.386 career slash line, which is an improvement on both offense and defense compared to former Cubs catcher, Willson Contreras.

We know the Cubs desperately want to upgrade behind this plate this winter. Therefore, It's no surprise Vazquez is high on their list of targets. Per Bleacher Nation: "Defensively, Vázquez rates out *extremely* well, ranking 5th in Defensive Runs Saved (11), 13th in framing (4.9), and 9th in overall defensive rating among all catchers (14.4)." Working out a few contract details seems to be holding up the process a little. After missing on Bogaerts, the Cubs' pursuit of a shortstop is getting tight. They need to land what they can, and Vazquez is a solid piece to land on your roster.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 5. Brandon Drury

Fresh off a career year, Brandon Drury is flying entirely under the radar. I'm not sure why the Cubs haven't been at least a little more after this guy, but he is a good target for the Cubs to utilize in a platoon at first base with Matt Mervis. Drury struggled upon being traded to San Diego but still managed to notch an impressive .263/.320/.492 slash with 27 HRs and 87 RBIs. Against lefties, however, Drury mashed with a .299/.329/.626 and 160 wRC+ in 147 at-bats.

Granted, Great American Ballpark, where Drury spent the first half of 2022, ranked as the #1 hitter-friendly ballpark this season. Petco Park in San Diego didn't crack the top 15, whereas Wrigley Field was ranked 6th overall. This can't entirely attribute to all of Drury's struggles in the second half, but it can certainly help present an optimistic viewpoint when placing Drury in Wrigley for 81 games a year. If he can put up numbers closer to what we saw in the first half (20 HRs and 59 RBIs), he certainly has the potential to be a significant addition to the Cubs lineup.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 4. J.D. Martinez

Landing at #5, we have J.D. Martinez. Martinez is also flying under the radar after a somewhat down year, particularly in the power department in 2022. Still, Martinez can both DH and play the outfield when one of Happ, Bellinger, or Suzuki need off days in the field. Though the power was down this season, Martinez still slashed .274/.341/.448 with 16 HRs and 62 RBIs. He earned his fifth All-Star honor in the process.

Martinez has always been an exceptional hitter. Where the Cubs missed out on Abreu earlier this winter, they could easily make up for with Martinez's bat-to-ball and power skills. He has slashed a career of .288/.352/.520 over his 12 years in the show and is a jolt of production in any lineup he is put into. If the Cubs miss on a shortstop this winter, J.D., along with Drury before him, is one of the guys that need to be at the top of the Cubs' wish list this winter if they wish to have any chance to compete.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 3. Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi is an option coming off a career year between Kansas City and the New York Yankees. An on-base machine, Benintendi slashed .304/.373/.399 this season, and where he lacked in power, he made up for in walks with 52 and only 77 punchouts. The problem for Benintendi and the Cubs is 1) the Cubs just signed Bellinger to a one-year deal to spend most of his games in center field and 2) Ian Happ's future with the Cubs is still a question mark. If we already knew Happ was not getting extended, Benintendi is a clear fit for the Cubs moving forward and they probably would have avoided Bellinger altogether.

As we know, the Bellinger signing was to bridge the gap and give Brennen Davis and Alexander Canario time to heal and get back into form. Benintendi now only becomes a fit in the worst-case scenario that neither top prospect returns to form. That, or if they think Ian Happ will be moved or not extended this winter, is the only way Benintendi makes sense for the Cubs. Given that they have already signed Bellinger and have been open to wanting to have extension talks, I'm going to put my money on no regarding Benintendi to the Cubs.

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 2. Dansby Swanson

To the meat and potatoes of Cubs targets. We're all well aware that the Cubs have been trying to land one of the four elite-tier shortstops this winter. I had been saying from the beginning that I wished the Cubs had locked someone like Swanson up earlier in the offseason. Understanding the market, however, obviously, this wasn't the case as players want to get paid as much as possible. As things are, the going rate for a shortstop now is astronomical. After Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts signed nearly record-setting deals, the Cubs' willingness to still swim in the deep end remains to be seen.

We know the Cubs still want one of the shortstops. We also understand that Dansby Swanson is now the most realistic option unless they want to go obscenely high to acquire Correa. You can't help but imagine what Swanson may be looking to sign for now that the market has been set for him. Swanson is a fantastic upgrade to the Cubs' roster as it sits, potentially giving them the best up-the-middle defense in the National League between him and Hoerner. Offensively, he had a career year but is just a .249.319/.409 career hitter. The Cubs will have to understand that this is the market now and will not change for the better. Spending intelligently here may be the downfall of the Cubs in 2023. This is where you have to bite the bullet if you want to compete. But will the Cubs go up to 8-9 years at 200+MM?

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 1. Carlos Correa

Last but not least, the elephant in the room. Carlos Correa. Clearly the top remaining free agent on the board, Correa will command both years and prices that may put the Cubs out of contention to acquire his services. After the San Diego Padres signed Xander Bogaerts an unforeseen 11-year/280.0MM contract, Correa will now have the power to argue that he is even more valuable and thus, command an even bigger contract than both Trea Turner and Bogaerts.

The facts are: The Cubs need a superstar. The market is what it is now, and you're not going to get around it if you want to be competitive moving forward. All teams have to deal with it. If you must sign somebody to one of these deals, go all in on Correa to help lead you to the promised land. Personally, yes, I go for it. I know it hinders the Cubs down the road in 7-8 years when Correa begins to decline, but I'd rather spend money and lose than not spend money and sit out of contention in 2023. The question is: do you want to hinder yourself down the road with a contract such as this? If not, the alternative is likely hindering you now when you're supposed to begin competing. The ball is in Jed's court with this one.