Cubs reportedly interested in Guardians first baseman |
The past few seasons have been a struggle for the Cubs, at least from a free agency side of things, as their passive approach to the offseason hasn't worked in their favor. You started to see things shift a bit last season when Jed Hoyer was aggressive early on to land Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, and Jameson Taillon, but outside of that, he stayed his course and patiently waited to make moves.
This offseason was supposed to be different for the Cubs. They were coming off a season where they won 83 games and had 60 million dollars come off the books, opening things up for a spending frenzy, and Hoyer made it a point that they would not only spend but would be aggressive in going after the guys they wanted. Well, here we are, more than a month into the offseason, and the Cubs haven't done anything as they continue to revert to the previous few years with patience. It appeared that this team was locked in on Shohei Otani, but after the price tag appeared to be going up, the Cubs seemed to pull away from his sweepstakes, although his near deal makes you question how seriously the team went after him. With him off the market, this team was supposed to have a plan B lined up, but given the lack of movement, it makes you wonder if they had a plan B or if that is what they are drawing up now. If there is a Plan B, it should include figuring out what to do at first base, as that continues to be a massive hole. Since Anthony Rizzo was traded away, the Cubs have been looking for 1B options, but have yet to have the best luck. From Frank Schwindel and Alfonso Rivas platooning in 2022 to Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini last year, the luck the Cubs have had at first hasn't been good, making this offseason crucial to finding one. While Matt Mervis provides a great in house options, with limited MLB experience it may not be wise for the Cubs to put him out there full time just yet. Bellinger would be an option, but with him expected to get a massive payday, the Cubs may be unable to bring him back. That leaves Rhys Hoskins, whom the Cubs have been linked to for quite a while, and Brandon Belt as potential free agents, with Pete Alonso as a trade option. However, recent reports have indicated that the Cubs are checking in on another 1B option as they have discussed Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians. That makes three players in the Guardians organization that the Cubs have been linked to, and it makes you wonder if Carter Hawkins will try and swing a massive deal to get all three, given his previous work in the Cleveland organization. Naylor may not be the flashiest or best name out there, but considering the Cubs do need some left-handed offense, you can see why there would be some interest from the Cubs. The 26-year-old Naylor isn't your typical power-hitting first baseman, but he knows how to hit and brings a firey personality to the field. Take this past season, which you could make the case was his breakout season. Naylor hit .308 in 2023, which would have ranked him No. 1 on the Cubs and just ahead of Bellinger. He added a .354 OBP and a .489 slugging as his offensive numbers took off. While the 17 homers may not seem like a ton, he did drive in 97, which would've tied him with Bellinger for the team lead. That shows he is not only a player who knows how to hit but also doesn't need to rely on the long ball to drive in runs. What makes those numbers even more impressive is that Naylor did that after missing the entire month of August with an injury. Had he played that month, you would have been looking at 20-22 homers with over 100 RBIs. In an age where teams continue to focus on power over pure hitting, Naylor is an excellent step back into the complete hitter days and would be a great addition for the Cubs. While his offensive numbers are solid, but production-wise consistent, he is also a much better fielder than people give him credit for despite his lack of athleticism. No, he isn't a gold glove first baseman, but he makes all the plays you would expect and is very reliable at first. Throw in two years of team control and set to make only seven million this season, Naylor has the potential to be a bargain for any team.
