Cubs listed as potential landing spot for a trio in free agency |
I apologize in advance if these rumors aren't your cup of tea. That is about the only news coming out of Chicago Cubs camp. Take away a coach hiring for first base and the impending 40-man roster questions that this team will be forced to address, and any news regarding the Cubs for the next few weeks will be mostly rumor-based as they prepare for free agency.
Entering the offseason, the Cubs had several goals in mind. Those goals included adding another starter, finding a middle-of-the-order bat, getting a closer or bullpen help, and adding a veteran catcher. With Cody Bellinger opting into his deal late last week, the Cubs are hoping he can solve the middle-of-the-order presence they are looking for, but the fans would love to see more than just him added to the offense. Earlier this week, we talked about the Cubs being favored to land Max Fried. If that is the case, that would solve the starting pitching help they are looking for at a fraction of the price for what guys like Blake Snell or Corbin Burnes would cost. Well, according to reports starting to surface around the game, Fried isn't the only one for whom the Cubs are rumored to be the favorites, as several other names are beginning to find themselves in the Cubs cross heirs as potential suitors.
Let's start with Jansen, who was also a target for the Cubs at the trade deadline last season. When you look back at last season, the single worst spot in the batting order was the catcher position, as the Cubs got little to no production most of the season. After adding Christian Bethancourt later in the year and having Miguel Amaya go through some swing changes, you started to see more production across the board, but even then, it wasn't enough to scare teams. While the Cubs are hoping for Amaya to build on his strong second half, having Bethancourt opt for free agency does hurt a little bit. The Cubs are once again in the market for a veteran backstop to fill the backup catcher role. That is where Jansen comes into play, as he would be the perfect addition to this team. Two of the four major baseball writers are projecting Jansen to land with the Cubs, with the other two having the Cubs in their top three, and you can see why. Not only has Jansen shown the ability to impact the game both offensively and defensively, but he is still just 29 years old, which puts him on the younger side when it comes to catchers. You also have to consider that the Cubs are looking for a veteran to split time evenly or, at the very worst, have Amaya go 60-40 next season, and Jansen fits the mold in every way. Unless the Cubs make a big splash for a guy like Logan O'Hoppe or other guys, Jansen seems like a perfect target, and for two years, around 15 million, you can't go wrong.
After blowing an inexplicable 43 games, including an MLB-worst 28 saves in 2024, this team must address the bullpen. The best way to go about that would be to add a significant closer, but you also need the arms that can hold the lead to get the ball to the closer. That is where AJ Minter comes into play, as the veteran southpaw would give the Cubs some bullpen versatility. One of the biggest flaws when you look at the Cubs pen the last few seasons was not having a true lefty out of the pen. You had guys like Tyson Miller, Mark Leiter Jr, and Hector Neris, who acted as reverse split guys, but Drew Smyly was the lone left out of the pen, which is an issue. There is hope that Luke Little can emerge as a lethal option, but, coming off a severe shoulder injury, there are concerns about whether or not he could find it again. That is where Minter would fit in nicely with this team, as he gives the Cubs everything they are looking for and more. The long-time MLB veteran may not be a spring-chicking anymore, but among pitchers with at least 220 innings pitched across the past four seasons, he ranks among the best in the game. Minter’s 3.05 ERA ranks 7th in MLB. And for his career, lefties have hit just .221/.286/.316 off him while striking out 31% of the time. The Cubs lacked that last season in their pen as they didn't have enough swing-and-miss options. Minter is also one of those guys who can hold his own against righties, and if this team is looking for a bullpen investment, he's one of the guys they should look at, as he is expected to land a two-year deal for around 14 million.
We discussed left-hander Sean Manaea earlier this offseason as a possible option for the Cubs. Here we are two weeks later, and the baseball world is starting to agree. He is another pitcher linked to the Cubs, and the Cubs are the favorite to get him. Now, this would be one of those deals that would be a direct result of Fried coming here or not, but given how Manaea pitched in the postseason, he would be worth a short-term investment. It does appear that the Cubs are targeting a specific type of starting pitcher this offseason, as left-handed starters are being linked to this team. Given that they already have Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, and Jordan Wicks in their rotation, adding a fourth lefty would be unheard of but also possibly a big advantage for this team. At 33 years old, Manaea is nearing the downturn of his baseball career, but with 32 healthy starts this past season, he isn't slowing down quite yet. Not to mention his 3.16 ERA after July 1 with a slash line of .182/.251/.327 overall, Manaea has proved he is worth a multi-year to stabilize the back end of any rotation. When you look at the contractual figures being attached to him, most of the contracts are three or four years with dollar amounts anywhere from 60 to 86 million. While $20 million a season isn't the end of the world, the Cubs may be hesitant to go four years with a guy who has been average at best most of his career. Perhaps they try to do a shorter deal with a higher AAV to entice him, and if that works, it would be a huge get.Danny Jansen
AJ Minter
Sean Manaea
