The Cubs had a disappointing day on Monday, as they lost two catching goals to Christian Vazquez and Sean Murphy. The Cubs also missed out on free-agent starting pitcher Chris Bassitt.
The Cubs are underachieving in the transfer market
Related:
- Carlos Correa’s MLB free agency has been reduced to two teams
- Dansby Swanson has the potential to turn the Braves’ worst nightmare into a reality: MLB Rumors
Jed Hoyer avoided Twitter on Monday night, as the pressure on the Cubs’ president of baseball operations is mounting. Hoyer has been backed into a corner by the information generated by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts and president of operations Crane Kenney this offseason.
Ricketts and Kenney insist the money is available for Hoyer to spend, but with the team consistently missing their top targets outside of starting pitcher Jameson Taillon and outfielder Cody Bellinger this offseason, the question remains as to what is preventing Hoyer from spending it.
From 2015 to 2018, the Cubs actively spent a lot of money on free agents. In 2018, the aftermath of the Jason Heyward contract and the early return of Yu Darvish changed the flow of resources from the Cubs’ business side to the team’s baseball side. It’s no secret that Bryce Harper should be part of the plan for the next Cubs’ core, but Ricketts limited the team’s spending power in 2018 because the results weren’t there on the field. According to Sahadev Sharma’s theory, Hoyer may avoid a major signing this offseason in order to preserve his flexibility for the following offseason.
The problem is that Carlos Correa is as good a fit for the team this offseason as Bryce Harper was for the Cubs’ post-2016 core. The Cubs are increasingly likely to distance themselves from Correa’s market and focus on Dansby Swanson, but if the team misses both, Hoyer’s position could quickly heat up.
As it becomes clear that Dansby Swanson is the only realistic option for the Chicago Cubs in their pursuit of a premier free-agent shortstop, Jon Heyman of the New York Post provided the following update:
“The Giants and officiating Twins are among the teams bidding for Correa, the best remaining shortstop in a market that once had four All-Star shortstops vacant. Dansby Swanson remains a free agent and the Cubs may be a contender to sign him along with the Dodgers, Red Sox and runner-up Correa.”
More MLB news:
- The Yankees are interested in Carlos Correa, but there is a catch
- Carlos Correa to the Yankees and four free agent predictions following the MLB Winter Meetings
With the Cubs missing both Correa and Swanson, several questions must be raised about the team’s strategy. It makes no sense for the team’s front office to sign free-agent starting pitcher Jameson Taillon to a four-year, $68 million contract and then reject the idea of spending money to fight.
Even if the Cubs sign Swanson, they still have a long way to go before they can compete in 2023.
