Cubs Holiday Wish List: 3 must-dos for the team before spring

1: add another SP on a low-cost, short-term deal / 2: left-handed power bat / 3: explore the trade market

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone. With winter weather and snow gripping much of the country, it feels like we have a lifetime to wait until the dark green ivy covers the Wrigley Field walls and clear blue skies herald another summer of Chicago Cubs baseball.

The offseason has been fairly eventful for the team to this point - including handing former All-Star and Gold Glove winner Dansby Swanson the second-largest contract in franchise history and adding Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger and Tucker Barnhart to the mix. That being said, there's still work to be done and here's my holiday wish list when it comes to the Cubs and the rest of the offseason.

3 Cubs holiday wishes: #3 - Add more starting pitching depth

Lost in the excitement of the Swanson signing this week was a report that made Kyle Hendricks' role on next year's team seem very much up in the air, while also mentioning him as a potential trade candidate.

With or without Hendricks in the mix, Chicago could still use another veteran starting pitcher as a rotation insurance policy. Jed Hoyer did well in bringing back Drew Smyly on a two-year deal after the left-hander worked to a 2.83 ERA in 11 second-half starts, but I still wouldn't mind another veteran option on a one-year deal.

Corey Kluber would be nice, but I suspect he'll land a shorter multi-year deal somewhere. Perhaps a Michael Pineda, Chris Archer or Carlos Martinez? We'll see what the front office has in mind, but we know one thing for sure: you can't ever have too much pitching.

3 Cubs holiday wishes: #1 - Explore the trade market

It's been awfully quiet when it comes to the trade market this offseason. Now that the top-shelf free agents are off the board, maybe we'll see more movement on this front. Armed with a ton of pitching depth and a revamped farm system, Jed Hoyer could have another avenue at his disposal to add to his roster.

As Boston seemingly burns to the ground over Chaim Bloom's direction for the storied franchise, the future of third baseman Rafael Devers seems more uncertain than ever. The last thing Red Sox Nation wants is for the front office to lose another superstar presence (as if Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts weren't enough), it might be the only path forward for the team.

Devers isn't the only left-handed power bat out there on the block, either. Longtime Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds has requested a trade and could be a nice fit for Chicago, coming off back-to-back 24+ homer seasons with two years of control remaining.

The only untouchable in the system at this point is Pete Crow-Armstrong. This should give Hoyer plenty of options when trying to put a package together - because an impact left-handed bat could really put this team over the top and give it a chance at returning to the postseason in 2023.