Ranking the 5 best Chicago Cubs free agent signings of the last decade

The Chicago Cubs have made some shrewd business decisions in the last 10 years, and those efforts helped secure four straight playoff appearances and a World Series from 2015-2018. They couldn't have accomplished these feats without bringing in talented players via free agency to supplement their wealth of homegrown stars. These are five of the best free-agent signings by the Cubs in the last ten years.

1. Ben Zobrist

Prior to the 2016 season, the Chicago Cubs inked utility man Ben Zobrist to a four-year contract when he was fresh off winning the World Series with the Kansas City Royals. The deal brought the Cubs a switch-hitting, on-base specialist, while also reuniting Zobrist with his former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. Zobrist primarily started at second base for the Cubs, where he also played in the 2016 All-Star game alongside the rest of the Cubs infield. Down the stretch, Javier Baez began to emerge as a defensive wizard, pushing Zobrist to the outfield. Since Kyle Schwarber was injured the entire year, and there was no DH, Zobrist also saw a lot of time in Left Field in 2016 and the rest of his Cubs tenure.

Although the Illinois native provided good value in 2018 as well, 2016 was the best of his time in Chicago, as he hit 18 bombs and drove in 76 while getting on base at an impressive .386 clip. However, the postseason is where Zobrist shined and he came up with some big hits against the Giants and Indians. The most notable of them was the go-ahead hit in Game 7 of the World Series, where Zobrist shot an opposite-field double to left field to score Albert Almora. That hit not only notched Zobrist the World Series MVP trophy, but a permanent place in Cubs history.