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Chicago Cubs Rumors: Three trade targets to acquire another bat
As the offseason pushes up, the Chicago Cubs have improved their roster. After acquiring Cody Bellinger, Jameson Taillon, Brad Boxberger, and Dansby Swanson, the Cubs are certainly headed in the right direction. In fact, after only winning 74 games in 2022, it's hard to fault the front office if the Cubs don't make the playoffs this coming season. Tom Ricketts promised to open up the checkbook and did so. Jed Hoyer says he wants the team to compete in 2023. How far away are the Cubs from playoff contention?
Looking at a potential lineup of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Patrick Wisdom, and Matt Mervis is an excellent place to start. On paper, the Cubs' offense doesn't look terrible by any means, but they still lack at least one true bat to give them an extra jolt forward in projected wins. The Cubs have been connected to Trey Mancini, who certainly provides optimism overall, but most of the key offensive weapons have been signed this winter. That being said, there is still a trade market when several players are nearly expiring contracts on rebuilding teams that may be available for the right price. Let's look at three targets and see how they could benefit the Cubs in 2023.
Three trade targets - 3. Austin Meadows
After a trade that saw the Detroit Tigers acquire Austin Meadows before the 2022 season got underway, Meadows only played in 36 contests this season due to a mix of Achilles strains and bouts of Vertigo. Though he has recently been deemed healthy and is taking part in his regular off-season routine, the thought is that his starting job in the outfield may not be 100% secure. If not, and he is in good health, the Cubs may see a reason to swoop up and pick him up as a 4th outfielder and much-needed lefty power bat.
In 2021, Meadows impressed with 27 HRs and 106 RBIs. Before that was the 2020 shortened season, but 2019 was his breakout season in which he slashed .291/.364/.558 with 33 HRs and 89 batted in while earning his first all-star appearance in the process. An Achilles injury is nothing to play around with, so the fact that he's participating in off-season routines is a good sign for the 27-year-old. Vertigo, which kept him sidelined for three weeks, is something to monitor, but if he is mentally good to go, he can be a fantastic addition to the Cubs offense in 2023.
Three trade targets - 2. C.J. Cron
Eventually, the Colorado Rockies have to learn from their mistake of not trading guys on expiring contracts so they can get some value out of their players if they aren't extending them, right? As was the case with Trevor Story, who was not traded despite having a high value and ultimately walked for nothing in free agency after the 2021 season concluded. As is the case now with C.J. Cron, who is set to earn 7.25MM in the second of a two-year deal he signed with Colorado.
If the Cubs want to add a right-handed first baseman to platoon with Matt Mervis, Cron may be one of the best options if the front office can pry the slugger away from Colorado. Let's face it; the Rockies are not a playoff-caliber team. After Cron just hit 29 homers while driving in 102, his value is immensely higher now than it will be at the trade deadline, where he will be one of the more sought-after bats presumably to be made available. The Cubs need to swoop in now. He is an automatic boost to Chicago's 2023 playoff chances.
Three trade targets - 1. Christian Walker
Like Cron before him, Christian Walker is another first baseman that may be traded. Walker, unlike Cron, does have two years left of team control and therefore is a much steeper price to pay. However, his 5.1 WAR in 2022 compared to Cron's 2.1 make him much more worth the price. This season, he slashed .242/.327/.477 with 36 HRs and 94 RBIs. He adds value defensively, which the Cubs love, as he won his first career Gold Glove at first base this season.
Still, Walker is estimated to be just a 7.4MM luxury tax hit, making him very affordable for a Cubs team getting ever-so-close to the first luxury tax tier this winter. Walker did manage 29 HRs and 63 RBIs in 2019, but this was a no-doubt career year for him. Adding him now with two years left of control immediately helps the Cubs contend with the top of the division and eye a playoff spot. Whatever Chicago does, they need to add another bat this winter. The trade market may be the answer to that problem if they find a trade partner who doesn't cost them an arm and a leg and can still produce efficiently next season.