Cubs remaining free-agency plan has everything to do with Craig Counsell’s revenge

After the Chicago Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker via trade, it seemed the team was set to put its foot on the gas pedal heading into 2025. Since then, they have yet to make another transaction that moves the needle forward. The team signed Colin Rea, who carries a below-average ERA for his career. Given that Rea ate 160+ innings last year, it's easy to think that he could be part of the starting rotation, considering that it's theoretically complete with Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matt Boyd, and Javier Assad.

In reality, Rea is a depth piece. Although he has to remain on the major league roster, he will likely be a swingman for the Cubs, as team President Jed Hoyer has strongly emphasized depth. Anybody with options remaining, such as Caleb Kilian, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Poteet, will likely start the year in Triple-A Iowa.

If that is the case, the Cubs still have room on the roster if they make a trade that includes guys off the 40-man roster. There are a couple of players left on the 40-man that the team could DFA if necessary, so just because the collar has tightened with the signing of Rea shouldn't indicate the Cubs are done.

After finishing the season well behind the Milwaukee Brewers – a team whose manager they stole before Opening Day – the Cubs are more desperate this winter than anytime in the recent past. While Cubs fans would prefer Hoyer act now, Chicago has actually spent more money than the rest of the NL Central combined, and they aren't done yet.

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The Cubs aren't acting irrationally, which is smart in the long run

Roki Sasaki is holding up much of the market, and for a team like the Cubs which want to make a splash via trade, if they don't acquire the Japanese phenom, they have to play the waiting game like everybody else. Suppose for a second you're Seattle Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto and willing to trade Luis Castillo. You're not going to trade him to the Cubs now; you'd wait until the trade market heats up and more teams call, which creates a bidding war and allows you to get more for Castillo than you otherwise might.

Therefore, the Cubs are handcuffed until Sasaki signs, and the teams that miss out will begin to look elsewhere for upgrades. That is where Hoyer can wait to strike, as his top farm system has multiple expendable top prospects for another blockbuster.

The Cubs are also interested in Yoan Moncada as a segue to Matt Shaw, buying him time to adjust without much pressure. For the same reasoning as Sasaki, the Cubs are stuck waiting until a bigger third baseman in Alex Bregman strikes a deal, allowing Moncada to get his price tag as high as possible before inking his next contract.

With manager Craig Counsell looking to topple his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, it appears to be a matter of time before the Cubs strike again. It would be foolish to assume they are done for the offseason, as industry experts all agree that isn't the case. Patience is a virtue for Cubs fans now, but once Sasaki signs, look for the trade market to heat up, where Hoyer will be heavily involved.