A week before the annual Cubs Convention, the Chicago Cubs were virtually silent within the MLB offseason landscape. However, that silence quickly turned to loud bangs as the Cubs swooped in and landed LHP Shota Imanaga, as well as INF Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, the Cubs are rolling.
At the Cubs Convention, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins both seemed calm, collected, and confident with what’s to come this winter. Hoyer was quoted saying the team is only in the “4th or 5th inning” of their offseason plan, and names such as Cody Bellinger were thrown around loosely by front office members and players alike throughout the weekend. Now, it appears that external-facing confidence is making its way into the minds of others around the sport.
According to MLB Insider Buster Olney, one high-ranking evaluator within the league has tabbed the Cubs as the team that will do the most. In fact, the individual said they will have the most impactful additions down the stretch entering Spring Training.
As we discussed on the podcast, a high-ranking evaluator believes the Cubs will make the most impactful moves the rest of the off-season. “They are the team to watch,” he said.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 18, 2024
When defining “impactful” that likely means adding players that are among the best remaining on the market. That said, “impactful” can also mean a big trade or a few sizable trades to also improve the roster.
The Cubs have only made one meaningful trade this offseason, adding Busch and Almonte for a pair of far-off prospects. The former No. 8 prospect on the team in LHP Jackson Ferris and OF Zyhir Hope are just a scratch on the surface in terms of the talent the Cubs have in the pipeline. Perhaps they deal once more from their deep prospect pool.
Nonetheless, the easy names in free agency to consider are Bellinger, Rhys Hoskins, and Matt Chapman. However, names such as Jordan Montgomery, David Robertson, Robert Stephenson, Jorge Soler, and J.D. Martinez are names the Cubs could still consider.
The Free agent bat the Cubs need to sign is crystal clear. Let @baseball_buj tell you. pic.twitter.com/bpbpHh52Xg
— Dingers: A Chicago Cubs Podcast (@Dingercubs) January 17, 2024
Whichever mode of acquisition the Cubs elect to use remains to be seen. However, the Cubs have made one thing clear all winter, they keep things quiet and can pounce at any given moment. The vote of confidence stating that they’ll add the most impactful names the remainder of the offseason should ignite fans’ excitement as baseball season inches closer.
