Cubs: 3 former players who could return to Chicago

The Chicago Cubs have money to spend, so will they spend it on some familiar faces?

As the postseason closed and the offseason began, the Chicago Cubs started with just three guaranteed contracts on the books.: OF Jason Heyward, SP Kyle Hendricks, and IF David Bote. They added a forth after claiming former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley on waivers and picking up his option for the 2022 season. With that, promoted President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and newly-hired General Manager Carter Hawkins have plenty of holes to fill and reportedly the money to find fillers.

There have been conflicting reports as to what the Cubs plan to do with that money. Team owner Tom Ricketts is on record with Chicago media saying the money is there to use and he wants to be a competitive team in 2022.

Cubs offseason rumors: Will Tom Ricketts spend money?

The term “rebuild” was emphatically replaced with “retooling.” However, Hoyer and Hawkins are doing a great job of dodging the questions around how the team will compete in 2022 and how they will spend the money. Given the history of the two executives, this feels like it will be an internally driven slow-play in development below the majors.

However they want to attack this offseason, this team has to do something. There are needs at the major-league level, and there are some familiar faces out there looking for a home. Here’s who the Cubs should bring back to the North Side to compete for another title.