Chicago Cubs Rumors: Three fallback 1B targets this offseason

First base option #3: Evan Longoria

Last but not least and admittedly probably farther down the list than the Cubs will have to go, we land on Evan Longoria. Nevertheless, we should still explore all options in a just-in-case type of scenario. Longoria had a down year at the plate with a mark of just .244/.315/.451, .021 points below his career average. He is still capable you giving you slashes of .265/.334/.472 but hasn't really had that monster year since 2016 when he batted .273 with 36 HR and 98 RBIs.

Though Longoria has always primarily been a third baseman, he did shift over and get reps at first and if he is willing to continue doing so, should probably at least draw some more interest by adding a little versatility to his resume. Longoria will be going into his age-37 season, so it's doubtful he commands any type of long-term contract here. It's not the type of scenario you want to see the Cubs have to end up with, but at the very least they wouldn't be stuck with anything long-term.

If Longoria can recapture some of that magic in a new ballpark, particularly a hitter-friendly one such as Wrigley Field, then there is obvious value there. Longoria had his 2023 option declined by the San Francisco Giants for 13.0MM this winter and there isn't much reason to believe his AAV will be anywhere near that moving forward. If he can hit for average, he can be a decent bat at the end of a lineup He is available if the Cubs need somebody, but hopefully, they wind up with one of their top targets anyway.