As the Chicago Cubs make their final moves of the off-season and prepare for spring training, conversations around the city of Chicago will move away from "What should the Cubs do this winter?" to "How did the Cubs do this winter?".
The Chicago Cubs didn't break the bank on a big ticket free agent — they didn't go above $200 million or seven years on any contract — but did give shortstop Dansby Swanson seven years and $177 million.
Swanson's contract is fine. It won't kill the Cubs if Swanson declines, but it wasn't necessary, in my opinion. Nico Hoerner broke out in 2022. Nick Madrigal also showed potential, when healthy, last season. I didn't see middle infield as a weakness for the Cubs, and realistically, I don't see the Cubs making a serious playoff push until 2025.
I didn't see a need to sign a free agent like Swanson, until the club is closer to competing. If the Cubs aren't contending these next two years, they'll have lost two years of Swanson's prime. I would have waited until the club was closer before signing a free agent to a long-term contract. Shortstop wasn't a need at this time, and I would have waited to identify a need before spending.
The second-largest contract the Cubs gave out this winter went to Jameson Taillon, who received four years and $68 million from the club. Over his last three seasons, Taillon has a 4.09 ERA. He's a back-end of the rotation-type of starter, and the Cubs already have plenty of those. This was another signing that seemed unnecessary to me. Taillon will take a spot in the rotation, and that's one less spot to give to a young pitcher that might have a higher ceiling.
The player that the Cubs acquired that has had the greatest success in Major League Baseball is Cody Bellinger, who was named the National League MVP just three years ago. Bellinger will provide, at the very least, excellent defense in center field, and he has the potential for a turnaround at the plate. On a one-year deal, the Bellinger addition carries little to no risk. The Cubs have a number of promising outfield prospects, but it doesn't appear that Bellinger will block any of them, at least at the start of the season.
The two best additions, however, in my opinion, are the signings of Tucker Barnhart and Eric Hosmer. The Cubs will pay Hosmer the minimum as he collects the remaining $39 million over the next three years from his contract with the San Diego Padres. Hosmer is an All-Star, a World Series champion, a Silver Slugger, a four-time Gold Glover, and a potential veteran leader. The Cubs acquired a proven veteran for virtually nothing.
Barnhart's two-year, $6.5 million is another great value addition. He might not give the Cubs much at the plate, but Barnhart is an elite defensive catcher that has been known to make young pitchers better. He could play a key role in the development of young pitchers Hayden Wesneski, Keegan Thompson, Justin Steele, Caleb Kilian, Javier Assad and Adbert Alzolay.
Sometimes the best moves are the smaller scale ones that carry little risk and high reward. Adding Barnhart and Hosmer were the best value additions the Cubs made this winter.
Check out the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show for more MLB offseason analysis!
More must-reads: