Best fits for Scott Boras's 5 remaining free agents if one-year deal were only option

4) Matt Chapman's best fit on a one-year deal is with the Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have had a disappointing offseason relative to expectations. The Cubs were linked to several elite free agents and trade candidates, yet the only players they've acquired who are expected to make a major impact on the MLB roster are Shota Imanaga, Hector Neris, and Michael Busch.

Those three players were acquired for solid prices, but when taking into account that the Cubs lost Marcus Stroman and could lose Cody Bellinger, it's not a bad argument to make to say the Cubs look worse on paper than they were last season as of now.

The Cubs should prioritize Cody Bellinger, but who knows how seriously they want to bring him back at this point. Matt Chapman is not as good as Bellinger, but he makes a whole lot of sense for a Cubs team that does not have a clear answer at the hot corner.

If the season started tomorrow, either Patrick Wisdom or Nick Madrigal would presumably start at third base. Not great either way. They do have an exciting prospect in Matt Shaw waiting in the wings, but he's not ready yet. The Cubs can sign Chapman to act as a placeholder until Shaw is ready, which would be very intriguing.

Chapman is the only free agent on this list actually coming off a down year. A good season in 2024 could help rebuild some of his value lost and help get him the big deal he's searching for. Playing half the time at The Friendly Confines in a division that just lost Corbin Burnes can certainly help Chapman have a good year and help the Cubs get back to the postseason.