Cubs should think long and hard before making this dramatic roster change

If the latest report is to be believed (and I don't think anyone can say with a great deal of certainty it can), the task facing Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs just got much more complicated: upgrade a roster with answers locked in at virtually every position this winter with Cody Bellinger and his $27.5 million salary on the books for 2025.

Despite the team's second-half improvement, both in terms of wins and losses and offensive production, simply running it back as-is for a third consecutive year would be an awful gamble for Hoyer, whose job may very well be on the line based on how next season goes.

But with Bellinger back, the paths to a dramatic roster shake-up are murkier than ever. You've got Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Bellinger accounting for the three outfield spots and DH nine times out of 10. Both Happ and Suzuki hold no-trade protection, as well.

On the infield, trade deadline acquisition Isaac Paredes is locked in at third with Dansby Swanson alongside him at short. We know Chicago will upgrade behind the dish in some fashion, leaving the right side of the infield as the one area the Cubs could make changes. Going back to the deadline, trade rumors swirled around Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner - and it's likely the front office re-visits those discussions this winter.

But there aren't many major second base bats out there. More often than note, that's not a position you're going to get elite run production from. First base though? That's a very different proposition.

In some Cubs circles, some have called for trading Hoerner and sliding Michael Busch over from first to second next year. That could open the door for a major addition at first, something along the lines of Pete Alonso - one of the game's biggest power threats.

The idea of Alonso taking aim at the left field videoboard at Wrigley for years to come is enticing, I'll give you that. But I don't know we should be so quick to ask Busch to change positions, especially when you look at how quickly he took to the position in 2024, not only his first season with the Cubs, but his first playing there on a daily basis.

Looking at Outs Above Average, Busch has been the third-best defender among NL first basemen this year and ranks among the best in all of baseball with the mitt. He quickly overcame some speed bumps in his development, learning the position on the fly this season, and he managed to do so without going through prolonged slumps at the plate.

Cubs need to be careful in what they ask of Michael Busch this winter

Busch has been one of the Cubs' best hitters all season long, capped by last week's NL Player of the Week performance. He's had cold spells, but has answered each of them with a resounding bounceback, thanks to a lack of panic and an ability to make adjustments at the plate.

Entering action Tuesday, he owns a 120 OPS+ and his 3.2 bWAR is tied with Dansby Swanon and Seiya Suzuki for second-best on the team. He's notched 27 doubles and 20 home runs, offering the first glimpse of long-term hope at the position since Anthony Rizzo held down the position for a decade.

Asking Busch to, once again, make a position change may prove inevitable if Hoyer wants to make that major move this winter. But the Cubs should think long and hard before doing it because it appears they have a real answer there for the first time in years.