3 offseason moves the Chicago Cubs have to make

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 11: Manager Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs speaks to the media before game four of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on October 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

2 of 3

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 26: J.D. Martinez (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

2. Sign J.D. Martinez

It may seem a little hypocritical to suggest the Cubs go out and sign another big name free agent. After all, they have Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant in the middle of their lineup, to the envy of many teams. They also have two very bloated contracts on the books in Heyward and second baseman Ben Zobrist. Why do they need another huge bat and contract in J.D. Martinez? The entirety of the Chicago outfield hit 78 home runs this year. Martinez hit 45 own his own in just 119 games. OF Kyle Schwarber is likely bound for the AL as he fits the profile of a designated hitter. The issue would be the Cubs would be trading him at his lowest value. Schwarber hit 30 long balls but only batted .211.

So why do they need another huge bat and contract in J.D. Martinez? The entirety of the Chicago outfield hit 78 home runs this year. Martinez hit 45 own his own in just 119 games. OF Kyle Schwarber is likely bound for the AL as he fits the profile of a designated hitter. The issue would be the Cubs would be trading him at his lowest value. Schwarber hit 30 long balls but only batted .211.

The entirety of the Chicago outfield hit 78 home runs this year. Martinez hit 45 on his own in just 119 games. Kyle Schwarber is likely bound for the AL because he is best suited for a role as a designated hitter. The issue is the Cubs would be trading him at his lowest value this offseason. Schwarber hit 30 long balls but only batted .211.

Even though the Cubs finished second in the National League in runs scored, the offense was awful in the 2017 postseason. As a team, the Chicago Cubs triple slash line was .172/.249/.247. That is absolutely putrid and is the primary culprit as to why the Cubs aren’t in the World Series. Rizzo went 5/37 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs. Bryant fared slightly better, going 8/40 with 1 home run and 2 RBIs. It doesn’t take an advanced statistical mind to see this was a massive problem. The Cubs’ fortunes could have looked quite different if they had another bat to go along with their big guys.

Home/Chicago Cubs