Center field has been a major letdown for the Chicago Cubs over the past few years for a number of reasons. Jason Heyward was the only defensive-minded player to fill that spot, but his offense was a disaster and injuries plagued the end of his tenure.
A handful of hot stretches at the plate from Rafael Ortega afforded him the opportunity to hold down the middle of the outfield in 2022, but he has no business returning in that role next season.
The easy path for Chicago would be to sign a free agent to handle the defensive pressure of center field, without much pressure on his offensive performance. Ortega was abysmal on both sides of the spectrum so cleaning up the defensive aspect would be enough to consider this offseason a success.
Brandon Nimmo has steadily improved in the outfield over the past few seasons. He is one of the more versatile outfielders on the market in terms of defensive upside and offensive output.
The market for Nimmo should be manageable for the Cubs to work around if they really want to make this sort of move. They can afford to sign him for one year as a stopgap in the outfield, or even to a two-year deal to stick around as a utility outfielder in 2024, though he may ask for more.
For Chicago, 2023 is a difficult season to project. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brennen Davis are both heading toward the Major League roster in the near future but probably will not suit up on Opening Day next season.
The Cubs need a veteran that can be an upgrade defensively until the young bats arrive at the end of 2023 or perhaps the start of the 2024 season. Nimmo, 29, would be a glaring upgrade over Ortega and would cost significantly less than other targets.
With his defense only getting better, Nimmo has been a reliable bat as well. He has an OPS over .800 in three straight seasons and in four of his last five. The lefty batter has posted a batting average of over .274 in each of his last three seasons as well.
Next season is not meant to be entirely competitive for the Cubs, unless they land several big-ticket free agents. The alternate route is to add steady veterans on more friendly deals that can help this team build for a 2024 contention date.
If Nimmo does indeed leave the New York Mets, Chicago should be all over him in free agency.
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