3 moves Cubs new GM Carter Hawkins can make to impress fans

No. 1: The Chicago Cubs would benefit from Hawkins bringing in a big bat

After getting a good starting pitcher and a solid reliever, the Chicago Cubs should definitely go after a good, consistent power hitter. That’s especially true after the Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees, Joc Pederson to the Atlanta Braves, and Javier Baez to the New York Mets.

The Cubs need some heavy hitters in their lineup and there are a few available during this free agency period. Among the most prominent power hitters available this year are Nick Castellanos, Chris Taylor, and Starling Marte.

Castellanos has become famous on Twitter for his, well, timely hitting. Regardless of his home runs and the odd existential consequences that seemingly somehow follow them, whichever team finds a way to land Castellanos will be happy with his production at the plate. This season, he has hit a career-high 34 home runs and, to go with that, is boasting a .309 batting average. The only issue with trying to court him would be the remaining years on his contract, but if Castellanos were to opt out, he might be in play.

Marte is also worth a look here. He played for both the Miami Marlins and the Oakland A’s this year, recording a .308 batting average while hitting a dozen home runs. That’s not exactly great, but Marte is consistent and has plenty of experience, which is valuable to a team that is trying to rebuild.

Taylor has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the past few seasons and his current contract is set to expire soon. He hasn’t been as productive at the plate as Castellanos or as consistent a hitter as Marte, but he’s still solid with a career .261 batting average and during the 2021 regular season, Taylor hit 20 home runs. That’s decent production for a team that could really use it.