National expert has bold plan for major Chicago Cubs offseason pursuit

The Chicago Cubs aren't in a great spot as they enter an offseason where there will be increased expectations of change after the team failed to make the postseason in each of the past two seasons when they were expected to contend.

It's a statement that is easier said than done for the Cubs. Looking throughout the Cubs' position players, catcher is the only spot where the team can make an upgrade. If Cody Bellinger decides to return to the Cubs for the 2025 season, then the roster is already becoming crowded.

For a Cubs' team that has a need for an impact bat, there aren't many spots on the roster where the Cubs can slide that bat into the lineup. That is why Jon Heyman has a creative solution when emptying his Friday notebook for the New York Post.

Cubs 1B Michael Busch is playing well two ways, so you wonder whether Pete Alonso is a fit there now. One possibility: Busch is so good defensively, they could move him to 2B.

When the Cubs traded for Busch from the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was a third baseman. It was the Cubs who decided to move Busch permanently to first base and it has worked with the rookie becoming a defensive asset. Under Heyman's suggestion, the Cubs would move Busch to second base with Pete Alonso playing first base.

Before we dive into that concept, the inference from Heyman's suggestion is that Nico Hoerner will be traded this offseason. A potential trade of Hoerner this offseason is a topic for another day but it is something that Cubs fans can't immediately discard.

The Pete Alonso rumors won't go away for the Cubs.

But back to the gist of Heyman's point, the Cubs could add Alonso through way of moving Busch to a different position.

It's no secret that the Cubs made overtures at acquiring Alonso in the past and likely will have a general conversation with Scott Boras about the possibility this offseason.

In theory, moving Busch to second base and having Alonso at first base should provide a significant boost to the team's offense. The issue is that for the step forward that the Cubs would be making offensively, it would be a regression defensively. Gold Glover Nico Hoerner is not factored into that scenario, while the Cubs would also be asking Busch to play a position he's rarely played this season and downgrading defensively at first base. It's ultimately the reason why it's difficult to map an Alonso arrival to the Cubs this offseason.