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With there being significant improvements from within the National League Central this off-season, there has been an emphasis on the Chicago Cubs being aggressive in filling out the holes on their Major League roster before the start of Spring Training next month.
The idea of Cody Bellinger returning to the Cubs continues to have a sense of inevitability to it but there also is an indication that the team may have something else in the works.
The latest indication of that was what Ken Rosenthal had to say about the Miami Marlins in his latest for The Athletic (Subscription Required). Rosenthal was talking about the lack of activity from the Marlins this winter and compared it to the Cubs.
"The offseason is not over yet, but don’t expect the Marlins to make a sudden plunge into the market, similar to the one the Chicago Cubs might be plotting."The Athletic
In terms of free agency, Bellinger would seemingly be the only "sudden plunge" that would make sense for the Cubs. National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is still looking for a deal north of $200MM and Jordan Montgomery likely is eyeing a return to the Texas Rangers. That would leave Bellinger as the free agent that continues to make the most sense for the Cubs.
A trade also can not be ruled out for the Cubs. The Cubs have a farm system that now ranks among the best in all of baseball and have both the pitching and outfield prospects to obtain any superstar available on the trade market. New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso continues to be a name to watch given the lack of contract talks before Alonso's final year before reaching free agency.